“When the legend becomes fact…print the legend.” Those words from an editor to a young reporter in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” still appear to be the modus operandi of the media. That was demonstrated this week with the legend of Luis Leon after The Morning Call in Allentown, PA, printed yet another harrowing account of ICE agents “disappearing” an immigrant. According to a story quickly picked up by other eager outlets, the 82-year-old grandfather, a legal asylum holder, was roughed up and then deported to Guatemala. The problem is that there appears to be no proof supporting the story of the “family members” cited by the reporter.
According to The Morning Call, Luis Leon, a Chilean national, was trying to replace his lost green card at a local USCIS office when he was suddenly deported to the wrong country, Guatemala, and he ended up in a hospital with pneumonia. The story further recounted how Leon’s wife was kept in custody in brutal conditions for 10 hours before she was released.
Media, including The Guardian, eagerly picked up the story of another “disappearing” of an immigrant. As the story went viral, a few people decided actually to look into the case and found that it not only made no sense but there is no evidence of such a deportation. For its part, The Morning Call changed key facts but did not withdraw the story as a hoax.
Guatemala states that there is no record of Leon entering the country. While the granddaughter claimed he was sick in a Guatemalan hospital with pneumonia, a doctor at the hospital claimed that there is no record of him being there. At the same time, Chilean authorities are saying that a man with the name Luis Leon with the same birth date as the Luis Leon died in their country in 2019.
Then the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) became involved and stated that there was no record of any such arrest or deportation. It also mentioned that there was no green card appointment in Philadelphia or arrest at the location cited by the family. It clarified that the only record of this man is from 2015 under a waiver program, not an asylum program, as alleged.
Chilean journalist Jose Del Pino confirmed that there is no record to support the U.S. media’s claims and that a man by the same name and date of birth died in Santiago, Chile, in 2019.
Nevertheless, The Morning Call continued to run claims by “Nataly,” the supposed granddaughter.
The DHS issued a statement slamming the media for another hoax without a modicum of effort to confirm the facts:
The Morning Call, an Allentown, Pennsylvania, newspaper published the following headline on July 20, 2025, without any facts from DHS about major allegations made against law enforcement:
The family of the individual allegedly told reporters he was handcuffed and taken by federal officers at a green card appointment in Philadelphia. This claim is completely false. There is no record of the man appearing at any green card appointment in or around the area of Philadelphia on June 20, 2025.
Furthermore, ICE has not deported Luis Leon—a Chilean national—to Guatemala, as his family members have said. ICE’s only record of this individual entering the U.S. is in 2015 from Chile under the visa waiver program.
According to reporting by the Associated Press, the Guatemalan Institute of Migration—which coordinates with ICE on all deportations from the U.S. to Guatemala—claims they have not received anyone matching the name, age or nationality of Luis Leon back into Guatemala.
According to the report, the family alleges a woman claiming to be an immigration lawyer called and offered to help them but did not disclose how she knew about the case. The family claims this individual also told them Leon died in ICE custody.
“ICE never arrested or deported Luis Leon to Guatemala. Nor does ICE ‘disappear’ people—this is a categorical lie being peddled to demonize ICE agents who are already facing an 830% increase in assaults against them. This was a hoax peddled by the media who rushed to press without pausing to corroborate the facts with DHS. This was journalistic malpractice,” said Assistant Secretary McLaughlin.
The story had the same feel as the widely reported whipping of migrants by border agents. The media went into a frenzy over a false story accusing mounted officers of whipping undocumented migrants near Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2021. Reporters like CNN’s April Ryan continued to peddle the false story for years despite being debunked.
Like this story, it could have been immediately refuted by any reporter. Indeed, the photographer captured the scene, which showed agents using bridle reins to guide their skittish horses. The entire videotape clearly shows the agents using the reins on their mounts, not on the migrants. Not only did the photographer quickly deny seeing any officers whip migrants, but the videotape clearly refuted that allegation. However, for many in politics and the media, it did not matter because it played into a racial-justice claim of the “whipping (of) Haitian asylum seekers.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) condemned “the inappropriate use of what appear to be whips by Border Patrol officers on horseback to intimidate migrants.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) decried “images of inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants by Border Patrol — including the use of whips.” Vice President Kamala Harris emoted on “The View” about how the brutality “invoked images of some of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the Indigenous people of our country, it has been used against African Americans during times of slavery.” Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) described the incident as “worse than what we witnessed in slavery” and “white supremacist behavior.”
President Biden rushed to express his own revulsion and rage, too: “It was horrible what — to see, as you saw — to see people treated like they did: horses nearly running them over and people being strapped. It’s outrageous. I promise you, those people will pay.”
The Administration delayed the results of the findings but eventually admitted that there was no such whipping. It still said it would punish the agents for other violations in what some of us viewed as a face-saving measure for President Biden.
In reading the original story, there was little support outside of the claims of the family and key elements of the story appeared to change as others challenged the account.
Frankly, I am still mystified by this controversy. It is hard for me to believe that a family would fabricate such facts while supplying pictures and details of this kind. Yet, the changes in the story and the fact of corroborating material undermine the account. Perhaps the family can produce further evidence in the coming days but, at a minimum, the newspaper ran with a story that lacked such foundation.
In the end, it does not matter that the story may be false. After all, you can get a Pulitzer prize for a debunked story funded by a political campaign. It fits the preferred narrative of many in the media. It is the scourge of “advocacy journalism” where reporters pursue social or political agendas in framing the news.
If there is support for its story, The Morning Call needs to publish those facts. If not, there is a story in all of this on how a hoax went viral, but it is not the one that most reporters would relish.
A local newspaper reported a person’s account of alleged ICE misconduct against the person’s family member. The local newspaper updated the report to include DHS’s subsequent denial. The Associated Press also reports the facts that refute the person’s account. Where is the “embrace” of a “hoax?”
The time distance between the original story and when the DHS reply was printed. Why wasn’tr a request made of a DHS statement before the story was printed? Becasue they embraced the story and were anxious, enthusiastic to print it.
Fair criticism of The Morning Call, a local newspaper. But again I ask, where is the “embrace” by “the media.” The headline is misleading. From reading the headline, I thought CNN, AP, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR, etc. etc. were all publishing misleading report. Instead I find a single report by the AP that fairly and accurately reports the actual facts from DHS. I’ve been following this blog for over ten years. It has steadily become more and more of just another partisan political echo chamber.
It’s not a lie, if you believe it. — George Costanza, and the modern left
The hilarious and lame George droppings here only demonstrate one thing: there’s nothing about anybody to the right of Bill Clinton anywhere in the documents, and the leftists have been sent out to throw as much squid ink in the water as possible to hide that fact.
If you are writing a book on the logical fallacies, you should thank the Left for providing a treasure trove of examples:
Deflection and diversion: The Obama corruption files? — But, but Epstein.
Ad hominem: The facts and arguments in the Obama corruption files? — Tulsi Gabbard is a sycophant.
Post hoc: The DNI released the Obama corruption files after the Epstein “scandal.”
Innuendo, smear by (a type of psychological manipulation): At some point, Trump knew Epstein, who’s a known pedophile . . .
Wow, the comments are hilarious. Especially those of “anonymous”.
Trump is having a fit trying to get rid of the growing Epstein files scandal and it’s not stopping. He tried to accuse Obama of treason, released the MLK files, and then made weird claims that he will reduce prescription drug prices 100%, 1000%, even 1600%! Wow.
Trump is acting guilty. According to MAGA lore. If you act guilty you are certainly guilty. Already plenty of pics and videos have been published showing Epstein and Trump palling around like best buddies for years. I thought he hardly knew the guy. Odd.
Even Charlie Kirk who just a few months ago was agitating for the release of the files. Now he’s backing away from it so fast he’s “trusting” the government to do the right thing. LOL!!
At some point Turley will have to address this growing scandal. Turley loves covering scandals, he did with Biden. What gives? Is he trying to avoid the embarrasment of having to pile on with the demands to release the files? It just keeps getting worse for Donald. The files not only contain Trump’s name they may containt names of lawmakers, CEO’s, foreign leaders etc. Trump flew in Epsteins’ plane several times. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be going to the island to be involved with sex trafficking minors. Trump was probably facilitating Epsteins sex trafficking for all we know.
George, why such files proving that “Trump is guilty” weren’t released when the Democrats had them?
Didn’t say they proved his guilty. He may be guilty. If it’s no big deal why is Trump so adamant that they not be released?
He’s more vulnerable about being deeply and closely assoiciated with a pedophile and it shows how he lied to his MAGA supporters who he thinks are stupid. He’s not wrong on that.
Trump is the one who kept feeding the conspiracy theories about Epstein and now it blew up on his face and he can’t control the wild conspiracy theory crowd he created. It was the crazy conspiracy theorists like Kash Patel and Dan Bongino who kept he idea of a “list” front and center for years. Until they ended up in a position to literally find out for themselves. So what do they do? Find out Trump may be implicated and suddenly it’s not so important. They made it a big deal to MAGA.
The real question is why is Trump and why are Republicans so insistent about not releasing the files? If it’s not such a big deal why so much effort to block the release? It’s more likely about optics and raising suspicion than anything else. Trump who is a pervert and a sexual abuser can easily be labeled a pedophiles just because he was very close to Epstein. Why Democrats didn’t pursue this angle is a mystery. What IS interesting is why did Trump assign thosands of FBI agents to comb over the files for anything relating to him? He’s the one making things worse for himself and MAGA was promised the Epstein files would be released. But now he won’t and that raises MAGA’s suspicion, the same kind of suspicion that leads them on these crazy conspiracy theories and rabbit hole explanations about the whole Epstein pedophile ring. Trump seems to have been part of it and now that media is laser focused on it Trump can’t seem to distract them with everything he’s throwing at them. Trump is making himself look more guilty every day he tries to deflect or distract. You wanted the files released when Democrats where in control of the White House. Why aren’t you demanding the files be released by Trump?
“Didn’t say they proved his guilty.”
You’re right. You didn’t.
Instead, you manipulated others via your typical dishonesty: Smear by innuendo.
You’d think someone as obviously intelligent as George (as he likes to remind people) would be able to do better… almost makes one think that perhaps he just isn’t all that bright after all.
If Trump was guilty, the Democrats would have sent a notarized copy to every household in America, plastered the highways with billboards and taking out a billion dollars worth of advertisement all over TV and the Internet. I mean you see did with the phony Russia dossier. What they have done with lawfare. With two phony impeachments. How they have spent NINE YEARS attacking him in every possible way.
Yet they couldn’t be bothered with Epstein?
Are you really that simple?
Better check that crawl space George. There’s a smell wafting out, the neighbors might notice.
There are no documents on Epstein and the Democrats had the files for 4 years. There are documents in the current and ongoing Russia Hoax scandal, now with Obama and his band of the unintelligent Intelligence leaders.
I am no fan of Trump. I used to see good things but they are largely gone.
Trump’s biggest ally is the Democrats. They are so focused on whipping up hate that they aren’t building anything to help people in need or to present an attractive candidate. If I am wrong please post the details because I ask this all over and get no answer.
They and the Republicans appear to be mostly concerned with getting rich on insider information and selling favors. We need a honest candidate first and I suggest Dr. West and Ms. Williamson. The policy disagreements I have with them fade in this context. On the Republican side only Rand Paul gives me any hope. Vance appears to be such a nice man but he is tarnished by proximity to Trump.
We will not help the struggling with hate. We will not help the struggling with lies. We will just get more of the same that fails us.
Oh please. What do you know of Trump the person, really, other than the trash that you’ve been fed by our garbage media?
Rand Paul is a poseur. His “principled” stand on the budget bill only lead to the Republicans having to make a much worse horse trade with Murkowski. Hundreds of billions wasted because of “muh principles” Rand Paul. I lost any remaining respect for him then.
Tulsi brought the receipts. She has Obama and his treasonous cabal dead to rights. That’s why the Soros troll farm robots like Georgiana and anonymous (Gigi) are throwing every deflection they can come up with into the air – e.g., Epstein Epstein Epstein.
“Tulsi brought the receipts.”
200 pages worth — and more to come.
What is it with the leftist nutcases on here? Awful people, especially that George clown. His comments just ooze “bodies of children stuffed in the crawl space.”
Well he’s not defending pervert Trump like you are.
Who’s defending Trump? Does Trump have kids in the crawl space like you and George?
Notice how quiet the leftist trolls get when someone mentions crawl spaces. Things that make you go hmmmmmm
Except, despite the left’s lies, Trump didn’t sleep with any of Epstein’s little girls and when he found terminated his friendship AND Epstein’s Mar-a-Lago membership. Actions taken by Trump speak far louder than your fake accusations.
Confirmed. Democrats are cracked out clowns. As if Americans did not already know
😜
“Carville: Democratic Party ‘a cracked-out clown car’”
Democratic strategist James Carville said in a new opinion piece for The New York Times that the current Democratic Party is “a cracked-out clown car.”
“Constipated. Leaderless. Confused. A cracked-out clown car. Divided. These are the words I hear my fellow Democrats using to describe our party as of late. The truth is they’re not wrong: The Democratic Party is in shambles,” Carville said in the Times piece released Monday.
Carville pointed to the recent clinching of the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor by Zohran Mamdani, which shocked many political observers, saying it “wasn’t an isolated event.”
“It represents an undeniable fissure in our political soul. We are divided along generational lines: Candidates like Mr. Mamdani are impatient for an economic future that folks my age are skeptical can be delivered,” Carville added.
“We are divided along ideological lines: A party that is historically allegiant to the state of Israel is at odds with a growing faction that will not look past the abuses in Gaza and the West Bank,” he continued. “From Medicare for All purists to Affordable Care Act reformists, the list goes on and on.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5412297-democrats-in-shambles-new-york-times/
They are only united by their pedophilia. Notice how excited Georgina is all of the sudden.
It’s been a slow march toward the truth. Now we find out that Trump is in the Epstein files. Only a matter of time before Trump is implicated with molesting underage girls. And when that happens every Trumptard from here to bumblef*ck is going to say, “so what if Trump molested a teenage girl?”
Nope. But considering that leftist hero went to pedophile island 26 times, while Trump went ZERO times, you may want to reconsider your stupid theories.
If there was anything in the files to implicate Trump, the “Joe Biden” administration would have shouted it from the rooftops every day for four years.
Biden administration? You mean President Autopen?
Why do you think I used quotation marks? He was a marionette, and the people pulling the strings were a cabal of ultra left-wing extremist warmongers who were also anti-American, antisemitic members of the climate cult. That’s why they purposely wrecked the economy by driving up inflation and interest rates and shutting down small businesses during covid while fascistically forcing people to inject a toxic brew of experimental chemicals into their bodies, and masking children. That alone was a crime against humanity.
ANON-7:18PM ………. Wow, it’s been hidden so well by the Biden Junta –
https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/eostein-trump.jpg
Democrats havent been this interested in pedophilia ever since troll farm owner David Brock ran a pedophile ring in Washington DC’s pizza parlor “Comet Ping Pong. It appears it is back in the news, and the Left conspired to cover it, erase the internet history and push a lie. As if that were their first time
Here’s All The Pizzagate Evidence They Tried To Erase From The Internet
Recently, more people have begun questioning the official narrative. Elon Musk’s comments on tweets about Pizzagate sparked a revival of interest, while Joe Rogan has openly stated he believes there’s truth to the claims. Other public figures have also weighed in, contributing to renewed skepticism.
Suspiciously, many of the controversial images and posts have since been scrubbed from the internet by their original sources. But, as the saying goes, the internet never forgets. The receipts remain, and here’s a closer look at everything they tried to erase—but couldn’t.
https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/here-s-all-the-pizzagate-evidence-they-tried-to-erase-from-the-internet
Turley spent an entire article wondering why the legacy media was ignoring Trumps Obama story. Well, the easy answer is because they know it’s BS and a clear distraction to avert any attention to the Epstein scandal. Trump can’t seem to squash it and he’s just making it worse.
It’s only been a little over five months into his term and he’s already deep in scandals and the economy getting battered by Trump’s tariffs. Heck beef prices are rising and inflation is still inching higher. Not looking good.
What term of Trump? His first and only?? Are you telling me that we don’t have a President Harris, Georgina?
What Epstein scandal, Georgie? The one about Bill Clinton going to pedophile island 26 times and Trump going ZERO times? Damn are you pathetic you loser.
rep
Where’d you run off to George? Checking your crawl space?
It’s pretty interesting that on the very next day after the WSJ releases an article pointing out that Trump’s name is mentioned multiple times on the Eptein files Loyal Gabbard releases accusations about Obama and the “Russia hoax”.
Turley is being complicit in helping Trump bury the Epstein files scandal. It’s amusing how it was MAGA and Trump peddling the Epstein files for years and demanding their release. Now they are trying very hard not to release the files because it’s turning out to be Trump is indeed mentioned multiple times. In what context, who knows. What is telling is that Trump is trying very hard to avoid releasing the files after promising to do so. MAGA is feeling betrayed because Trump was calling for it’s release and MAGA was clearly expecting it. Now he’s saying “hey, looks like there’s nothing to see here, never mind”.
Trump has a long history of pervy views and stories including once musing about dating his own daughter. Trump was oozing Epstein vibes long before he became president. No wonder they were such good buddies.
“It’s pretty interesting that . . .”
What’s *not* pretty is the Left’s anti-intellectualism and evasion, first via deflection: “The Obama corruption files? But, but Epstein.”
And then by ad hominem: “Gabbard’s arguments? The facts in the Obama corruption files? We blithely ignore all of that. Instead, we attack Gabbard’s character with wild speculation about her motivation to protect trump.”
Or they attack her appearance, like GIGI did yesterday. They’re all so ugly inside and out they are just pure evil.
Gabbard disclosed the Obama “report” AFTER it was revealed that Trump’s name appears multiple times in the Epstein files.
The evasion is all on Trump. We know Trump was a pervert and once mused about dating his daughter. He fits with Epstein as his best bud.
Trump?? Why won’t President Harris release them? It’s not like Trump has any power right now. He lost the election, all of your crappy pollsters said so.
If I were you I’d be a lot more worried about another president, goes by the name Bill Clinton… went to pedophile island 26 times…
Trump banned Clinton’s best friend Epstein from Mar-a-lago decades ago. They were no friends. Clinton on the other hand went to the island 26 times. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.
George – Willful ignorance of the obvious ……. rather adolescent, but expected.
https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/eostein-trump.jpg
“Gabbard disclosed the Obama “report” AFTER . . .”
Thanks for reminding me about the Left’s third fallacy: Post hoc.
Turley is just another evil Trump sycophant. Trump could be proven to have molested underage girls and Turley would deny it.
The pizza was tasty but the little boys even tastier
Well, considering that Clinton went to pedophile island TWENTY-SIX times while Trump went ZERO times, I’d love to hear your pathetic theory about that. Try harder loser.
“I did not have sexual relations with that woman…..Miss Lewinski” are words that will resonate throughout U.S. Presidential history.
Anon-7:20 PM ………. Your democrat projection is duly noted.
https://x.com/VinceSheetz/status/1947771944452903013/photo/1
Evil sycophant — not based on the evidence, especially for someone who has been a reader of Prof. Turley for a long period of time. I would be guessing, but anyone who actually believes your conclusion would likely believe that Susan Rice, Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch, Marc Elias, and most of the members of Obama’s Cabinet, are Obama sycophants —
Look at Georgina trying to sound serious. Hey Georgina, you still flogging crappy pollsters that called the election for loser Harris?
Blue is the color of the sky on Earth. What’s the color on your home world?
Do you think that the Dems wouldn’t have crucified Trump way before now if there was a scintilla of truth that Trump had involvement with the Epstein files?? Do you have ANY memory of the numerous cases against Trump in the last few years?? The Dems would’ve hopped onto an Epstein connection breathlessly and with enthusiasm YEARS ago if there was any “there, there”. Just Stop being so stupid.
They can’t stop. They really are this stupid. Seriously, just try to parse the crap that George posts. Five-year-olds make more sense and have a better grasp of English grammar, but then again, they’re smarter than George so we shouldn’t be too surprised.
highly doubt the old man has passed in chile in 2019 but their family want to keep receiving his ss or pension – yes he was still alive (COVID CHAOS PERIOD – NOBODY WANTED TO VERIFY) and now blame his “disappearance” on ICE for convenience..
Just like RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA they make it up when it needed.
*. Luis Leon is missing. ICE, DHS cleared. Phone call said Luis Leon died. Begin a missing person investigation and upgrade to possible homicide. Suspects are those closest to Luis Leon, Establishing an alibi.
Local police have been notified no doubt. False report to federal agencies?
*. What an awful story. The wife can be verified as having been in brutal conditions and held by ICE for ten hours?
The Morning Call must retract at the least. The family involved thoroughly investigated. A waiver Visa coming in from Chile, ill and to say goodbye to family? Returned to Chile and passed away in 2019?
This can be easily verified. PT, this is the worst reporting ever on this blog?
Barbra of Seville
*. I’m not investigating this. Tribune Publishing was purchased in 2014? by Alden GLOBAL and the owners are hidden by this company LLC and then another and another. It’s an old name and now worthless it appears?
Put a local cop on it and find this man and then what? The locals will think it’s a strong arm cover-up.
As noted you see what you want to see. There’s an absence of objective truth. There must be laws regarding ethical journalism somewhere? For bunk reporting pass a law that bunk must be printed on bright yellow paper? Watermarks saying – this is BS?
I want to know who, what, when , where and why Luis Leon is missing. It’s a Dan Brown mystery. A cliffhanger, PT? I’ll get another copy tomorrow.
*. Put a local cop on it, no kidding. I was getting the run-around some years ago by a shady group until I was blue in the face. I finally telephoned the police department in a small town in Texas and requested an officer go to such and such address suite x etc and see what’s there. I explained the entire predicament to the officer. He followed through and called me back. What he found was one room with a looping taperecorder answering the phone!
Try a cop.
Obongo,
“Out of nowhere somebody cuts in and says,”
“Hmm, you in some trouble boy, we know where you been.”
– On the Border, Eagles, 1974
Obongo,
“Out of nowhere somebody cuts in and says,”
“Hmm, you in some trouble boy, we know where you’re been.”
– On the Border, Eagles, 1974
Tulsi Gabbard is amazing. She towers by leaps and bounds over Hillary Clinton who accused Tulsi of being a Russian asset. It is impossible to measure the damage Hillary has done to America but certainly to Tulsi Gabbard.
Bravo Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard, US Army
🫡
Yup, it’s pretty ridiculous. The entire country is now getting to see what those of us on the border have dealt with for decades, and largely due to government actions that began with Bill Clinton (and pre-NAFTA it wasn’t like this; I blame the rise of the cartels and the unwillingness to deal with them for much of it on that side of the border and extending into South America. Makes one wonder whose fingers are in that pie). It has been bad since then, has gotten progressively worse, and has finally reached critical mass with the four years of the Biden ‘administration’. Was brewing for a long time, and the a$$ covering and gaslighting now would be juvenile and hilarious if it weren’t so serious. Juvenile and hilarious, but potentially deadly, like a toddler with a knife: that’s our modern dem party.
Of course, it isn’t true. Border patrol hears a whole lot of these stories every day, just a whole lot more of them in 2025 and with a media happy to be complicit and broadcast them out of the fear that they might have to realize they are just people like anyone else at the end of the day. I am still in awe at how the modern left and its apparatchik continues to find new lows to sink to; at this point, pond scum is no longer wondering what lay beneath it.
The most maddening part is that these are not ‘new rules’. We have always had immigration laws, people have just been generationally acculturated to believe otherwise, hence reality is like thunder to some.