Nothing to See Here – City Journal
In late April, near my home in Tampa, a woman from Guatemala and her four-year-old daughter were brutally killed with a knife and a shovel by the womans live-in boyfriend. The alleged killer, described in the press as a Florida man, apparently killed his girlfriend because she returned home late from an outing with friends.
You would think that CNN, NPR, the New York Times, and other prominent media outlets might cover this story. You would also assume that progressive legislators and groups that purport to care about women, immigrants, and domestic violence would highlight the case, condemn the horrific attack, and demand action to protect women. Those are reasonable assumptions, but they dont apply here.
Instead, this story has been mostly cabined to right-leaning media. The reason? The accused killer, Angel Gabriel Cuz Choc, came to the United States illegally in September 2023 from Guatemala, where he was wanted for murdering two other people, according to U.S. Border Patrol.
Those facts explain why only four national news outlets covered the story:Newsweek,People, Huffington Post, andCBS News. None admitted that Cuz Choc had entered the countryillegally, or followed up when news broke that he was wanted for two other murders in Guatemala. In its opening sentence, HuffPo ridiculously referred to Cuz Choc as a Florida man.
Left-wing and mainstream outlets ignore, downplay, or outright lie about these types of stories to preserve the narrative that illegal immigrants are all innocent strivers, fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries. But what about those, apparently like Cuz Choc, who flee because they committed violence in their home countries and plan to commit more crimes here?
Occasionally, crime stories involving illegal immigrants become too big for the media to ignore, like the case of Laken Riley, a University of Georgia student kidnapped and murdered in February, allegedly by another recently arrived illegal immigrant with a criminal record. When they are forced to cover such incidents, the corporate media often cite misleading academic studies asserting that migrants commit fewer crimes than Americans. These studies are often bogus; some include legal migrants (such as IT professionals from India), instead of focusing on illegals, and all use unreliable data, since police in most states dont track offenders immigration status.
The press rarely asks the president and other high-ranking officials responsible for our effectively open border to defend the policies that produced these preventable crimes. Joe Biden was forced to address the Riley murder only because Marjorie Taylor Greene heckled him during his State of the Union address. Biden got her first name wrong, calling her Lincoln, and infuriated his base by referring to her suspected killer, accurately, as an illegal. He quickly pivoted to say, But how many of thousands of people are being killed by legals? as if that would comfort Rileys family.
Unlike Laken Riley, Cuz Chocs alleged victims, Amalia Coc Choc De Pec, 36, and her four-year-old daughter, Estrella, wont become household names. Progressives, who otherwise often note the unequal treatment afforded white and nonwhite victims, havent had much to say about this disparity. Indeed, left-wing elites and their media allies have proved repeatedly that they dont care about minorities killed by illegal immigrants. The press were uninterested in the case of Ariana Funes-Diaz, a 14-year-old girl who, in 2019, was stripped, beaten with a baseball bat, and stabbed to death with a machete by a pair of teenage MS-13 gang members with criminal records. Neither were they interested in the five Latino victims, three female, killed in 2023 by Francisco Oropesa, an illegal immigrant with five previous deportations.
Cuz Choc says he came to the U.S. illegally, with the help of a coyote. We dont know if he was a got away (an alien who snuck in unlawfully and undetected), or if he was paroled into the country. Given the presss lack of interest in the case, we may never find out.
Ive traveled to 80 countries and have met many more good people than bad ones in the developing world. But migrant advocates are foolish to think that we can import without consequence large numbers of lawbreaking migrants from places that dont respect womens rights.
This attitude was recently displayed by a nave but entertaining English YouTuber named Benjamin Rich, whose channel, Bald and Bankrupt, has more than 4 million subscribers. A few months ago, Rich produced a series of viral videos in which he traveled north from Mexico to our border with migrants hoping to sneak into the country, repeatedly emphasizing along the way that they were swell people whom we should be happy to welcome. Like other good progressives, he never mentioned the possibility that mixed in with the nice people were pedophiles, killers, rapists, and ordinary men who hold their home countrys retrograde beliefs about women.
If we want to protect women like Laken Riley and Amalia Coc Choc De Pec, we should restrict male immigration from countries that compel female subservience, or practice female circumcisions, child-bride arranged marriages, or polygamy. This wont happen, of course, because the media and left-wing activist shops that claim to care about immigrants and women really care about advancing progressive policy agendas. To those groups, women like Amalia Choc de Pec and her daughter may as well be collateral damagevictims whose killers were members of a preferred tribe.
Photo by David Peinado/NurPhoto via Getty Images
City Journal is a publication of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (MI), a leading free-market think tank. Are you interested in supporting the magazine? As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations in support of MI and City Journal are fully tax-deductible as provided by law (EIN #13-2912529).
More here:
Nothing to See Here - City Journal
- New York to Further Shackle ICE to Shield Illegal Aliens - Federation for American Immigration Reform - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Virginia Gov. Spanberger addresses reporters on redistricting, illegal immigration - Fox News - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Bill creating state illegal immigration crime headed to Lee - Johnson City Press - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Letter: In regards to illegal immigration and the No Kings rally - Wadena Pioneer Journal - April 8th, 2026 [April 8th, 2026]
- Illegal alien sends 2 ICE officers to hospital after attempt to dangerously evade arrest - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - April 8th, 2026 [April 8th, 2026]
- Meet one of the medias non-criminals: ICE arrests illegal alien wanted for murder in Virginia - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - April 8th, 2026 [April 8th, 2026]
- Bill creating state illegal immigration crime headed to Lee - blackchronicle.com - April 8th, 2026 [April 8th, 2026]
- Illinois Poised to Pass Another Bill Shielding Illegal Aliens in the State - Federation for American Immigration Reform - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Alito invokes Scalia analogy in birthright citizenship case over illegal immigration - Fox News - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Mass Deportation Coalition Launches Playbook Aimed at Reversing the Harmful Impact of Mass Illegal Immigration - PR Newswire - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Cesar Chavez fought illegal immigration is that why he was canceled so quickly? - The College Fix - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Video | Nitiin Gadkari Raises Alarm On 'Illegal Immigration' In Assam Ahead Of State Elections - NDTV - April 3rd, 2026 [April 3rd, 2026]
- Man convicted on incest, other sex charges sentenced to federal prison for illegal immigration - Gulf Coast News and Weather - March 20th, 2026 [March 20th, 2026]
- FAIR Launches Investigation into Illegal Aliens Access to the U.S. Banking System - Federation for American Immigration Reform - March 20th, 2026 [March 20th, 2026]
- ICE Houston lodges detainers on 2 criminal illegal aliens arrested for intoxicated manslaughter in past month - U.S. Immigration and Customs... - March 4th, 2026 [March 4th, 2026]
- Letters: Trump has stemmed tide of illegal immigration that leads to many ills - NOLA.com - March 4th, 2026 [March 4th, 2026]
- Birmingham man charged with impeding arrest of person accused of illegal immigration - WBRC - March 4th, 2026 [March 4th, 2026]
- Sen. John Cornyn calls Texas mass shooting a sad but familiar story, warns of illegal immigration - Fox News - March 4th, 2026 [March 4th, 2026]
- Utahns first or eroding the Utah way? House OKs measure cracking down on illegal immigration - KSL.com - March 2nd, 2026 [March 2nd, 2026]
- Is the government meeting its pledges on illegal immigration and asylum? - BBC - March 2nd, 2026 [March 2nd, 2026]
- California to Spend $35 Million to Prevent the Deportation of Illegal Aliens - Federation for American Immigration Reform - March 2nd, 2026 [March 2nd, 2026]
- ICE Special Response Team arrests criminal illegal alien alleged sex offender and human smuggler in Minneapolis - U.S. Immigration and Customs... - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE Harrisonburg arrests illegal alien with extensive criminal history - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- Imposition of Visa Restrictions on Uzbekistanis Facilitating Illegal Immigration to the United States - U.S. Department of State (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE arrests violent criminal illegal alien who murdered a toddler in Wisconsin - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE deports Jamaican criminal illegal alien convicted of murdering a father of 7 - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE, federal partners arrest criminal illegal alien from El Salvador convicted of murder - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- ICE Buffalo investigation lands criminal illegal alien 25-year prison sentence for distribution of child sexual abuse material - U.S. Immigration and... - February 26th, 2026 [February 26th, 2026]
- Criminal illegal alien sentenced to prison for assaulting ICE officers during Massachusetts arrest - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Chicago mayor orders CPD to document illegal activity by immigration agents - FOX 32 Chicago - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Chicago mayor tells police to probe allegations of illegal activity by immigration agents - Reuters - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- The Left is Badly Misreading the Politics of Illegal Immigration - American Enterprise Institute - AEI - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago ordered city police on Saturday to formally document and report aggressive and potentially illegal federal... - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Opinion | The left is badly misreading the politics of illegal immigration - The Washington Post - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Federal Court Will Hear Minnesota Claims That Immigration Surge is Illegal - The New York Times - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Letters: News outlets are denigrating federal agents and glossing over the reality of illegal immigration - chicagotribune.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Chaffetz: Democrats Have Overplayed Their Hand On Illegal Immigration - FOX News Radio - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- VOTE: Do you agree with the way ICE is conducting its illegal immigration crackdown? - WPEC - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- ICE arrests dozens of criminal illegal aliens convicted of murder, child rape and more in sanctuary state Minnesota - ICE | U.S. Immigration and... - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- VOTE: Do you agree with the way ICE is conducting its illegal immigration crackdown? - National News Desk - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- Cochran: Illegal immigration, enforcement of laws to be at forefront of assembly session - The Daily Post-Athenian - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- Report: Hundreds more federal agents to arrive in Twin Cities for illegal immigration and fraud crackdown - Star Tribune - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- Who's Responsible? Identity Theft Fueled by Government Inaction and Illegal Immigration - Herald/Review Media - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- Report: Hundreds more federal agents to arrive in Twin Cities for illegal immigration and fraud crackdown - Red Lake Nation News - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- Who's Responsible? Identity Theft Fueled by Government Inaction and Illegal Immigration - RealClearInvestigations - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- 2025 Year in Review: Border Security and Illegal Immigration - thetexan.news - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- ICE Operation Highway Sentinel arrests over 100 illegal alien truck drivers in Gavin Newsoms California - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs... - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- ED Attaches Assets Worth Rs 5.41 Crore Over Illegal Immigration To US - NDTV - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Is the government meeting its pledges on illegal immigration and asylum? - AOL.com - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- ROSEN: Ruben Navarette glosses over illegal part of immigration - Sentinel Colorado - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- HUDs Turner blames housing affordability crisis on unchecked illegal immigration - Scotsman Guide - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- TSA and DHS team up to crackdown on illegal immigration in the air - Fox News - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- OPINION: Its Time For Cities To Join The Fight Against Illegal Immigration - Dallas Express - December 14th, 2025 [December 14th, 2025]
- Tory shadow minister praises Trumps illegal immigration crackdown and says it could work in UK - the-independent.com - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Vances Misleading Claims on Housing Prices and Illegal Immigration - FactCheck.org - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- The truth about crime and illegal immigration is even worse than you imagine - The Telegraph - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- ICE Buffalo arrests notorious drug trafficker and criminal illegal alien from Ukraine who attempted to exploit immigration law to hide from justice -... - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Tory shadow minister praises Trumps illegal immigration crackdown and says it could work in UK - AOL.com - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Since the inauguration of the second Trump administration, illegal immigration crackdowns have been - - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- UAE Introduces Strict Visa Rules To Enhance National Security, Imposing Hefty Fines And Prison Terms For Illegal Immigration And Misuse Of Travel... - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Illegal immigration under Trump and Biden: What numbers reveal - MSN - December 10th, 2025 [December 10th, 2025]
- Illegal immigration is hurting U.S. economy: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent - Fox News - November 26th, 2025 [November 26th, 2025]
- Carter calls for increased ICE presence in Atlanta to address criminal illegal immigration problem - U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (.gov) - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- Florida Takes the Lead to Eliminate Burdens of Illegal Immigration - Federation for American Immigration Reform - November 20th, 2025 [November 20th, 2025]
- Trumps claims about murder rates and illegal immigration fit red states more than blue states - WBEZ Chicago - November 7th, 2025 [November 7th, 2025]
- Violent criminal illegal alien apprehended by ICE after high-stakes operation in Chicago - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - November 7th, 2025 [November 7th, 2025]
- Deterring Illegal Immigration: This Town Decided that Actions Speak Louder than Words - Federation for American Immigration Reform - November 7th, 2025 [November 7th, 2025]
- Texas and Ohio Review Voter Rolls to Eliminate Illegal Alien Voting - Federation for American Immigration Reform - November 7th, 2025 [November 7th, 2025]
- Their plan was a flood of illegal immigration. Our answer is an immigration moratorium - Fox News - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- ICE arrests Guatemalan illegal alien convicted of felony breaking and entering in Virginia - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- ICE and Oklahoma bolster public safety on states highways by removing 34 illegal alien truck drivers - ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement... - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Illegal Immigrants To Be Hit Hard As SNAP and WIC Benefits Expire - Center for Immigration Studies - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Illegal Aliens Seek Less Effective Tracking System - Federation for American Immigration Reform - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Leon Sheriff's Office gets OK for $500K reimbursement for role in illegal immigration crackdown - Tallahassee Democrat - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- Illegal Migrant Stabs Man Who Was Walking His Dog in the U.K. Exposes Truth Illegal Immigration - Megyn Kelly The Devil May Care - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- Judge rules immigration detention of Chicago man with daughter battling cancer is illegal - CNN - October 26th, 2025 [October 26th, 2025]
- Judge rules immigration detention of Chicago man with daughter battling cancer is illegal - AP News - October 26th, 2025 [October 26th, 2025]
- ICE lodges arrest detainer for criminal illegal alien who killed 3 in California while driving 18-wheeler under the influence - ICE | U.S. Immigration... - October 24th, 2025 [October 24th, 2025]
- White House condemns Illegal immigration as Indian truck driver kills three in California crash - The Indian EYE - October 24th, 2025 [October 24th, 2025]
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested more illegal alien criminals on Thursday as the Democrat-led shutdown continued into its fourth... - October 24th, 2025 [October 24th, 2025]