During a recent CNN interview, Senator Lindsey Graham defended claims made by former President Donald Trump regarding migrant criminals, following the release of new statistics by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These figures showed noncitizens with criminal convictions, and Trump seized on them to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris, asserting that under her watch, thousands of convicted criminals, including murderers and rapists, entered the U.S.
Trump’s comments drew attention when he stated Harris should cancel her press conference due to the alleged influx of 13,000 convicted murderers during her tenure as “Border Czar.” On CNN’s State of the Union, host Jake Tapper played a clip of Trump disparaging Harris, claiming only a “mentally disabled person” could allow such events to unfold. Tapper replied that Trump’s remarks were derogatory, emphasizing that Harris is not mentally impaired.
In response, Graham, a staunch Trump supporter, labeled Harris as “crazy liberal” rather than mentally impaired. He reiterated Trump’s claims, pointing out the release of significant numbers of criminals, insisting that the blame lies squarely with Harris. However, Tapper intervened to clarify that the statistics Graham cited over decades included people who had crossed during the Trump administration and were often incarcerated in federal prisons, not just those overseen by ICE.
Trump and other Republicans have criticized Harris for perceived inaction on immigration and border control, branding her as Biden’s “border czar.” Despite this, her role primarily involved diplomatic efforts with Central American nations to tackle the root causes of migration, rather than direct oversight of border security.
Graham referenced the tragic murder of Laken Riley in Georgia, attributing it to policy failures under the Biden-Harris administration. He pointed out that the suspect, a Venezuelan national, was released due to lack of detention capacity. Graham asserted that the consequences of releasing migrants without proper processes have been dire, claiming significant harm has resulted from such policies.
Historically, Trump’s anti-migrant rhetoric has gained traction since his first presidential campaign in 2016, during which he infamously labeled Mexican immigrants as “rapists.” Yet studies from institutions like the Brennan Center for Justice suggest that immigration does not correlate with rising crime rates; in fact, they indicate the opposite trend.