Charles Lane, an editorial writer for The Washington Post, believes that Republicans are wasting their time discussing border violence and crime caused by illegal aliens because “It’s not a real issue.” Lane appeared on a special report with Fox News’s Bret Baier, and took on the topic with a panel that included conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham, and weekly Baier panelist Charles Krauthammer.
Lane attempted to argue that crimes committed by illegal immigrants are not an issue because, over the past 20 years, US-wide crime rates have dropped despite an increased rate of illegal immigration.
CHARLES LANE: I think it would be great for the Repuclican candidates to give conservatives issues. But they have to be real issues, ok? And the issue of crime by illegal aliens or legal immigrants is not a real issue. And I’ll tell you why, Laura. Because between the early 90s and now, when the United States crime rate was going like this, down, illegal immigration was going like this, up. The two are not causally connected.
Laura Ingraham seemed a bit taken aback by this absolute dismissal. She responded by pointing out that in California, a border state facing particularly heavy scrutiny for it’s protection of illegals, twenty percent of it’s prison population are illegal aliens. Lane gave a confusing response where he both admitted illegal immigrants are filling up prisons, and claimed they are not causing a significant amount of crime in the United States.
I’d like to finish making my point, ok? Which is that it’s simply not true that illegal immigration is causing a lot of crime in the United States. It doesn’t mean that you can’t find significantly gross numbers of illegal immigrants who are in jail because they’ve committed crimes.
Lane went on to argue that since areas such as New York have historically had some success with immigrants holding a low crime rate, Republicans can’t claim it's an issue facing the country. Show host Bret Baier checked him on this first by noting that the majority of these crimes are focused on border states where the majority of illegal aliens reside, or at least filter through.
BRET BAIER: I’ve traveled to those border states. I’ve talked to the people in those communities. And they will paint a different picture. Whether the stats are different nation-wide or not, if you go to a specific section of the border, it’s pretty bad.
The trouble with immigrants committing crime along the border didn't do anything to waiver the liberal writer from opining his flawed agenda, showing again how blatently the left will ignore facts in order to advance their rhetoric.
Below is the relevant transcript of this discussion. The full special report can be watched here.
CHARLES LANE: I think it would be great for the Repuclican candidates to gives conservatives issues. But they have to be real issues, ok? And the issue of crime by illegal aliens, or legal immigrants is not a real issue. And I’ll tell you why, Laura. Because between the early 90s and now, when the United States crime rate was going like this, down, illegal immigration was going like this, up. The two are not causally connected. We’ve had a tremendous drop...
LAURA INGRAHAM: Twenty percent of the prisoners in California are illegal immigrants. What are you talking about?
LANE: What I’m telling you is...
INGRAHAM: Is that acceptable to you?
LANE: Of course there are people who come into this country and commit crimes.
INGRAHAM: Horrible crimes against children, women. Murder- He’s right, rape. Horrible crimes
LANE: Laura, I’ve listened to you a long time, I’d like to finish making my point, ok? Which is that it’s simply not true that illegal immigration is causing a lot of crime in the United States. It doesn’t mean that you can’t find significantly gross numbers of illegal immigrants who are in jail because they’ve committed crimes. It doesn’t mean what the people in San Francisco did was remotely consionable. They should have done what Jay Johnson told them to do and deport this guy again.
INGRAHAM: Obama released those people all the time...
LANE: But again, for Donald Trump to go around this country claiming that illegal aliens are a major source of crime in the United States, is not true. It is galling that anyone would come here illegally and commit a crime, I admit that- I feel that myself. It’s extra galling.
INGRAHAM: The five border states, Chuck, have most of the crime in those particular areas.
BRET BAIER: I’ve traveled to those border states. I’ve talked to the people in those communities. And they will paint a different picture. Whether those stats are different nation-wide or not, if you go to a specific section of the border, it’s pretty bad.
