‘Disgusting Smear’: Trump Admin Disputes Report ICE Used 5-Year-Old Daughter as Bait

Isaac Schorr Sep 23rd, 2025, 4:34 pm

The Trump administration is disputing a report alleging that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) used an illegal immigrant’s five-year-old daughter as bait during a confrontation in Massachusetts last week.

Under the headline, “ICE held 5-year-old autistic girl in Massachusetts to pressure father to surrender, family says,” NBC News reported that Edward Hip Mejia called his wife to let her know that he believed he was being followed while driving with their daughter.

Here’s how NBC described the incident:

Her husband, Edward Hip Mejia, drove home and “managed to run back into the parking lot of my house, but they grabbed” their daughter, she added.

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