CNN Quietly Changes Headline After Internet Teaches Them When ICE Was Founded

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Nov 13, 2018

CNN was forced to change an embarrassingly incorrect headline after learning from internet users that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was founded two years later than they claimed.

“This year saw the most people in ICE detention since 2001,” read a headline from a Monday CNN piece.

Internet users quickly taught CNN that ICE was not founded until 2003.

“This is CNN,” said Twitter user Ben McDonald, juxtaposing the headline with a Google search showing that ICE was founded in 2003.

“ICE didn’t even exist until March 1, 2003,” reporter Ryan Saavedra said.

Even the updated article still makes the claim that ICE was collecting data as far back as 2001. How does an organization that does not exist gather information?

“ICE held an average of more than 42,000 people in custody each day throughout fiscal year 2018. The previous record high since ICE began tracking the data in 2001 was just over 38,000 last year,” the article said.

The network also had to update the story after failing to properly give credit to Daily Beast, who apparently reported the statistics first.

“UPDATE: This story has been updated to credit The Daily Beast with first reporting the statistics,” the last line of the piece said.

Just another day at the Cable News Network.