NBC News Reports a ‘North Carolina Pastor’ Had a Stroke in ICE Custody, but Omitted These Facts– townhall.com

Once again, the media are doing the heavy lifting to protect illegal aliens and smear ICE. NBC News shared a breathless story about how a “North Carolina pastor” had a stroke while in ICE custody.

North Carolina pastor taken by ICE had a stroke in detention, family says. https://t.co/Hrdf6S7Arf

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 10, 2026

Here’s more:

A little more than two weeks after her father was arrested by ICE, Gabri Johnson received the call she had been dreading: Her father, a pastor in North Carolina, was in the hospital in Texas after having a stroke, she said. Since then, ICE has kept their family in the dark about his medical care and her father’s condition, Johnson said.

But there’s something NBC omitted from the headline, opening paragraph, and X post. Johnson is an illegal alien from Liberia who has had a deportation order for the last 35 years.

Oh, and he’s got prior criminal convictions, too.

Per DHS, this “North Carolina pastor” is an illegal alien from Liberia who has had a deportation order since 1991 and has prior convictions for drug possession, fraud, mail theft, false citizenship, multiple traffic offenses, and charges for harassing communication and simple… https://t.co/eLvXjLol0s

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 11, 2026

The NBC story is behind a paywall. Maybe they mention this in a later paragraph, but we somehow doubt it.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also slammed NBC for this intentionally shoddy reporting.

This “North Carolina pastor” is Gabriel Johnson, a criminal illegal alien from Liberia whose lengthy rap sheet includes convictions for drug possession, fraud, mail theft, use of unauthorized access devices, false citizenship, and multiple traffic offenses, and charges for… https://t.co/5tAS8h3BF2

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 11, 2026

“Johnson was taken to the hospital on July 30 with stroke-like symptoms and is currently being monitored for high blood pressure. He is in stable condition,” the post reads. “He entered the country on December 30, 1987, on a visa that allowed him to remain in the U.S. for six months. In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his visa. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal in January 1991. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal.”

Oddly, @NBCNews omits the man’s LENGTHY criminal record that includes fraud, theft, assault, and drugs. Weird, right? https://t.co/rvT3HlbhoV

— Trip in Charlotte NC (@TripNC1963) August 12, 2026

It’s not weird at all. It’s what the media do.

Apparently he’s had a deportation order since George H W Bush was president. https://t.co/QhU5V9BlTq

— Mark Noonan (@Mark_E_Noonan) August 11, 2026

Think of all the things that happened since 1991. During all that time, Johnson should have been deported back to Liberia, but he wasn’t. Now he is, and that’s what we voted for.

Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.

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