CNN Allows Immigration Activist to Pose As 'Undocumented College Student'

Meet Mayra Hidalgo.  She was introduced yesterday to the CNN viewing audience as a “student” who happened to question Gov. Mitt Romney after his speech to Latinos in Florida. She made for great television for CNN because Ms. Hidalgo asked Romney to explain his position on illegal immigration and the DREAM Act. When the governor would not pander to her, she bolted to the nearest camera crew she could find to explain how terrified she was for her future if Romney were elected. CNN more than obliged. CNN actually reported on Hidalgo twice yesterday, each time referring to her merely as an “undocumented college student.”  

A little digging has revealed that this isn’t the first time CNN has obliged Ms. Hidalgo. In fact, a few months ago, she was not just a student in the crowd at an event. A few months ago, CNN profiled her as the poster child for the DREAM Act.  

Once again, CNN sympathized with an illegal immigrant supporting the largely Democratic-sponsored DREAM Act. Anchor Brooke Baldwin on Tuesday hailed “DREAMer” Mayra Hidalgo who blistered Republicans for their rigidity on immigration.

Baldwin let Hidalgo air this message to certain Republican candidates: “Do you even have a heart?” The immigrant directed her ire at Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney for saying an illegal immigrant would have to serve in the military to earn citizenship. “You’re messing with people’s lives,” she ranted.

A little more digging reveals Hidaglo describes herself on her Twitter profile as an “Immigrant rights organizer,” and she is called here a DREAM Act activist. In fact, Ms. Hidalgo, whom CNN referred to in January as a “college student” in fear of deportation – and then yesterday as a “college student” who confronted Gov. Romney – actually works for a Washington DC lobbyist.

After being asked if Romney might have suspected she was ambushing him, she told Political Pulse that she works for DRM Capitol Group, a Washington-based lobbying group that appears to exist specifically to push for the DREAM Act, according to the group’s website. In fact, DRM’s website statement about Romney includes this sentence: “Undocumented youth will escalate our actions against Mitt Romney until he supports the President’s new immigration policy.”  

CNN got duped into covering this woman, multiple times; or else they knew very well that she was an activist and purposely hid the fact to paint her as “just a college student” in fear of Gov. Romney’s policies. Either way, CNN has some explaining to do.