Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett isn't just a loudmouth, attention-addicted showboat who makes fun of other people's disabilities and hurls racial smears at other people's marriages. She's also a political extremist and uninformed ignoramus. In that sense, she's multi-dimensional. In one of her endless television appearances last month, she offered an assertion to MSNBC's audience about illegal immigration that was factually incorrect. She insisted that entering the United States of America illegally is not a criminal offense. She said this with great conviction, practically oozing a sense of exasperation with any benighted fools who aren't as enlightened as she is on the subject.
Perhaps I'm exaggerating, so I invite you to be the judge:
Crockett: “It’s not a criminal violation to enter the country illegally.”pic.twitter.com/p6iYRkQ6aU
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) March 8, 2025
This confident claim is false. It is, in fact, a criminal offense to enter US soil unlawfully. Doing so more than once becomes a felony. Overstaying a visa is a civil offense (perhaps that needs to change), but that is different than 'entering the country illegally,' which is indeed a crime. It's true that many Democrats want illegal immigration to be decriminalized and turned into a civil offense. During the 2020 presidential cycle, many of Team Blue's presidential aspirants went on national television and endorsed decriminalization, in addition to offering taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal immigrants (an insane policy that is contributing to California's economic mess):
During a Democratic primary debate in 2019, the candidates were asked to raise a hand if they supported decriminalizing illegal border crossing. Nearly every single one did—including Joe Biden. Now they want you to pretend they didn't go ahead and immediately do it. https://t.co/4iV1rlSseD pic.twitter.com/UudfXI5BbJ
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) February 6, 2024
Embracing this proposed change is reckless and radical, in my view, but it would constitute a change -- because contrary to what Crockett said on camera, illegal entry into America is a criminal act. Apparently CNN's Abby Phillip is similarly misinformed, spreading this falsehood on her program during an exchange with Scott Jennings. She seems to think she's fact-checking him when she's the one who's wrong:
CNN's Abby Phillip: "Coming into the country illegally is a civil offense. It's not a criminal offense."
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 9, 2025
Overstaying a Visa is a civil offense but crossing the border illegally is in fact a misdemeanor under 8 USC 1325 and illegal re-entry is a felony.pic.twitter.com/DaHtHHevgg
Perhaps Ms. Phillip, like Ms. Crockett, would prefer that illegal immigration be downgraded to a non-criminal offense, but that's not what the law says. Finally, on the subject of unlawful immigration, I'll leave you with this:
Recommended
ICE calls out the sanctuary city of Boston with yet another alleged violent illegal alien released from local custody with no ICE cooperation. Tension between ICE & Boston continues heating up after local judge there held ICE officer in contempt & DA considers charging him. https://t.co/Py7FdFxuZ3
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) April 9, 2025
