Watch How CNN Covered ICE Back In 2016

Adriana Stone 1 1 min read

Watch How CNN Covered ICE Back In 2016

People are sharing a CNN ride-along from 2016. It was filmed in Chicago. The clip follows ICE agents as they make arrests early in the morning.

The segment aired May 31, 2016. The reporter, Pamela Brown, opens with this line: “Just before the sun rises in the Windy City, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents fan out across Chicago to arrest criminals in the U.S. illegally. CNN was granted exclusive access to witness some of those raids,” Brown told viewers to kick off the segment, titled, “A day with ICE in the ‘Sanctuary City’ of Chicago.”

In the piece, an ICE agent is heard saying they had “three targets” in areas that are a “little sketchy.” Brown notes the operation began at 3 a.m. to catch targets before work. An agent also says his adrenalin and blood pressure go up when “you’re getting ready to do something like this.”

The video looks different from what many people see now. No large protests. No chants. No dramatic cable punditry. It’s a quiet, procedural ride-along. That contrast is what made the clip go viral again.

Commenters on social media noticed the tone shift and posted the clip alongside their takes. Some argued the difference shows selective outrage. Others said media framing depends on context and politics. Either way, the clip is a reminder that news coverage can vary a lot over time.

Here’s why this matters. One chance to observe enforcement looks different from another. Different reporters, different headlines, different political climate. That changes the public’s view of the same agency and the same kind of work.

Watch the original report and judge for yourself. The resurfaced posts include reactions and commentary, and they’ve driven the recent conversation about how ICE is portrayed.

If you want to dig deeper, watch the full CNN segment. Compare tone, language, and presentation. Draw your own conclusions about whether coverage has shifted and why.

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