CNN Hero, Homeless Advocate Found Dead In Her Home: Report

Shirley Raines, the founder of the nonprofit Beauty 2 The Streetz and a nationally recognized advocate for the homeless, has died at the age of 58, according to confirmations from her family and organization this week. Authorities in Henderson, Nevada, discovered Raines unresponsive in her home on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, after her youngest daughter requested a welfare check when attempts to reach her failed. Officials have not yet released an official cause of death.

Known to millions online as “Ms. Shirley,” Raines rose to prominence through viral social media videos documenting her outreach to unhoused individuals across Los Angeles and Nevada. Her work included distributing meals, hygiene products, and beauty services, helping restore dignity to some of society’s most vulnerable. Beauty 2 The Streetz amassed millions of followers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and Raines received widespread media praise, including being named CNN Hero of the Year in 2021.

Family members stated there is currently no suspicion of foul play, and an autopsy has been ordered to determine the medical cause of her death. In the days since her passing, tributes have poured in from supporters and volunteers, praising her years of hands-on service and personal sacrifice.

Raines is survived by six children and her twin sister, who described her death as a devastating loss not only to their family but also to the communities Raines dedicated her life to serving.

Yet even amid the coverage of Raines’s death, CNN’s involvement has renewed broader skepticism among conservatives toward the liberal network’s credibility — particularly during the second term of President Donald J. Trump. Critics argue that CNN has repeatedly demonstrated inconsistent standards depending on who occupies the White House.

That perception resurfaced recently when social media users unearthed an Obama-era CNN segment focusing on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), highlighting what many see as a stark contrast to the network’s later hostility toward immigration enforcement under President Trump.

On May 31, 2016, CNN aired a segment featuring reporter Pamela Brown embedded with ICE agents in Chicago during early-morning operations targeting undocumented criminals.

“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 at the start of the segment, titled, “A day with ICE in the ‘Sanctuary City’ of Chicago.”

During the broadcast, an ICE agent explained to colleagues that they had “three targets” located in areas described as “a little sketchy.” Brown noted that the operation began at 3 a.m. to intercept suspects before they left for work. Another agent remarked that his adrenaline and blood pressure spike when “you’re getting ready to do something like this.”

The segment showed agents attempting to operate discreetly, though cameras captured a mistake during the operation.

“This may look organized, but in this moment, confusion. ICE agents mistakenly arrest the target’s brother,” Brown told viewers.

The report concluded with an on-screen graphic stating: “On this day ICE detained 6 for possible deportation. 2 of them were released because they didn’t have criminal records.”

The resurfaced footage was shared by X account @mazemoore, who pointed out that CNN’s coverage at the time lacked the critical tone that would later dominate the network’s reporting once President Trump took office.

Although CNN has undergone numerous ownership and leadership changes since 2016, conservatives argue the decade-old clip underscores a media double standard — one in which immigration enforcement was treated as routine under Barack Obama but vilified under Trump, even as ICE continued performing the same core law-enforcement mission.

Ross Douthat, a semi-conservative columnist for The New York Times, acknowledged the tonal shift, suggesting that while the coverage difference was notable, it also reflected changes in how ICE agents presented themselves during that period.