On the July 8 edition of Fox News’s Hannity, Geraldo Rivera and the host battled over immigration in the aftermath of the death of San Francisco native Kate Steinle at the hands of an illegal immigrant. Geraldo insisted repeatedly that “these monstrous criminals” have virtually nothing in common with “the vast majority of undocumented immigrants.”
Hannity conceded that point and argued, “that’s not the issue.” The Fox News personality tried to make the point that these crimes would not happen if America had effective border security. He added: “[H]ere’s the problem. Even if we do deport them, they come back. You know why they can get back? Because we don't secure the border...He went to San Francisco because it's a sanctuary city and America under Obama has become a sanctuary country.”
After Hannity cited crime numbers from illegal immigrants who had previously been convicted of felonies, Rivera noted: “That's a population of 11 million or more. They commit crimes at a lesser rate – they commit crimes at a lesser rate than citizens.” The long time Fox News host disputed Geraldo’s claim, saying it was “actually not true.”
Geraldo responded by suggesting illegal immigrants will find a way to get into the country no matter how big of a wall America builds: “Build the wall 100 miles high. That's fine. That’s fine – you put up a wall 100 miles high, people like this murderer in San Francisco will get a 100 mile [and] one foot fence to climb it.”
Later in the segment, Geraldo commented that “these horrible crimes, these anecdotes, as horrific as they are, do not reflect the vast majority.” Hannity hit back: “But here's the problem: along with the vast majority that want jobs, so too are these criminals and rapists – a small minority – but they're committing crimes, killing Americans, committing sexual crimes.”
Hannity asserted that America’s open borders are a threat to national security: "We have a vulnerability. And if somebody that wants a job crosses over, so too can ISIS and so too can people from Al Qaeda.”
The relevant portion of the transcript is below.
Fox News
Hannity
July 8, 2015
GERALDO RIVERA: My heart goes out to the victims of these crimes as they do to the victims of any crimes. When you use these anecdotes, though, to make the broader point that you’re making about undocumented immigrants. You can't deny, Sean, that these monstrous criminals, like the person who shot the 32-year old woman in San Francisco, these people have as much in common with the vast majority of undocumented immigrants as we have in common with James Holmes in Aurora, Colorado, Adam Lanza in Newport, Connecticut or those four black people who were killed in the last 12 hours in Baltimore.
SEAN HANNITY: But that’s not the issue.
RIVERA: I mean those four black people killed in Baltimore are not reflective of the African-American population.
HANNITY: I’m conceding your point, but here’s the problem. Even if we do deport them, they come back. You know why they can get back? Because we don't secure the border.
RIVERA: But this beast, this scum dog who killed the woman in San Francisco, remember, this guy did almost 15 years in jail in federal prison for felony reentry. In other words, he was picked up, he was put in jail and he stayed in jail – three different sentences.
HANNITY: He went to San Francisco because it's a sanctuary city and America under Obama has become a sanctuary country.
RIVERA: Those kinds of problems – why this particular violent – why was this man on the streets anyway? He had seven felony convictions. Why isn't he behind bars for life? What happened to three strikes you're out?
HANNITY: Last year we released 37,000 illegal immigrants who were convicted of crimes. Guess what, Geraldo? Of those 37,000, 193 killed Americans, 426 sexual assaults, 303 kidnapping convictions. How stupid a country are we that we not only let you out – and let you stay – and send you back and you can get back in?
RIVERA: That's a population of 11 million or more. They commit crimes at a lesser rate – they commit crimes at a lesser rate than citizens.
HANNITY: Actually not true.
[...]
GERALDO: The problem, Geraldo, is our borders are insecure. Even if we send people –
GERALDO: I grant that. I grant that. I've got no problem –
HANNITY: I've been to the border I understand why people want to come here.
RIVERA: Build the wall 100 miles high. That's fine. That’s fine – you put up a wall 100 miles high, people like this murderer in San Francisco will get a 100 mile [and] one foot fence to climb it. These dogged criminals – this guy went to jail for 15 years for felony reentry. This is not a typical person.
[...]
RIVERA: My point is that these horrible crimes, these anecdotes, as horrific as they are, do not reflect the vast majority.
HANNITY: You are not – listen, I am not doubting, I understand if I'm at border and I'm in San Diego and see poverty on one side and milk and honey on the other, I'm going to the other side to work. The vast majority. But here's the problem: along with the vast majority that want jobs, so too are these criminals and rapists – a small minority – but they're committing crimes, killing Americans, committing sexual crimes.
[...]
HANNITY: Geraldo, you're missing my main point. We have a vulnerability. And if somebody that wants a job crosses over, so too can ISIS and so too can people from Al Qaeda. And I'm saying, America has a responsibility to those three parents that lost loved ones who we had in our criminal justice system and didn't send back in some cases, or they could walk across again. We are – our government is responsible for the death of their children.
GERALDO: There has never been a verified terrorist penetration from the southern border. There have been from Canada. Never from Mexico.
