Border czar Tom Homan criticized Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett on Monday for wrongly asserting that illegal immigration is not a criminal offense.
Crockett claimed on “The Katie Phang Show” Saturday that “it is not a criminal violation to enter the country illegally … it’s not a crime.” However, Homan explained on “Varney & Company” how Crockett was incorrect, saying it is pitiful that she seemed unaware of the law.
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“It’s a crime to enter the country illegally under Title 8 United States Code 1325 and it’s really pathetic that any member of Congress [doesn’t] understand what the law says,” Homan told host Stuart Varney. “They wrote the law, they enacted the law, [it’s] signed by a president. It is a criminal violation to enter the country legally. And if you’ve entered prior, it’s a felony.”
“So I’ve been saying this for I don’t how long on your show, and I had to educate AOC [Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], what, years ago, during the hearing that it’s a crime to enter this country illegally and we’re going to enforce those laws.”
Homan during a 2019 hearing informed Ocasio-Cortez that even if an immigrant is seeking asylum, they still must “go through a port of entry” in order to not commit a crime.
“Mr. Homan, with all due respect, legal asylees are not charged with any crime,” Ocasio-Cortez
“When you’re in this country illegally, it’s violation 8, United States Code 1325,” Homan responded.
As border czar Homan has emphasized a focus on arresting “public safety threats” and “national security threats,” but has also asserted that authorities would make collateral arrests of illegal immigrants who do not present such threats.
Radio host Charlamagne Tha God in January also disputed journalist Morgyn Wood’s assertion that President Donald Trump’s administration is arresting migrants that have not committed “crimes.”
“They’re rounding up anybody who is in the country illegally. At first, we were thinking it was just going to be those who were committing crimes, but no,” Wood said. “It’s just if you are in the country and your status is not up to par, or you’re not in good standing, then you are eligible for deportation … at least under this Trump administration.”
“But isn’t being in the country illegally a crime? That’s a crime under federal law,” Charlamagne responded. “So they’re rounding up people who are committing crimes and they’re rounding up people who are here illegally, because that too is a crime.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also told ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce in January all illegal immigrants possess a “criminal record” due to their violation of U.S. law through entering the United States.
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