Mika Brzezinski Gets Into Fiery Battle With Trump Border Czar About ICE Detainments: Why Have These People ‘Been Disappeared?!’
Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski slugged it out with Border Czar Tom Homan about ICE’s detainments of migrants in a fiery debate Tuesday.
In what turned out to be a testy interview during the show’s 9 a.m. hour, Brzezinski confronted Homan about ICE’s criteria for determining a migrant is a criminal who should be detained.
“Mr. Homan, how would you define a criminal?” Brzezinski asked. “And I’m curious — is a person who is living in this country, paying taxes, has a license, has job and has kids serving in the U.S. military, but is still in the process of getting legal papers, is that person a criminal?”
Brzezinski did not use any names but may have been referencing Narciso Barranco — who was seen being beaten and detained in viral footage back in June. Barranco, the father of three U.S. Marines, was working as a landscaper in Santa Ana, CA when he was detained by ICE.
“Well, every case is different—” Homan replied, before being cut off.
“I’m asking about that case,” Brzezinski said. “Because there’s been that case.”
“From what you just told me, they’re not a public safety threat,” Homan responded. “However, if they’re in the country illegally, that is not OK.”
“So should that person be put in a car surrounded by ICE agents wearing masks and dragged into a car and detained?” Brzezinski asked.
“I don’t know the specifics of that case,” Homan responded.
“That seems to be the answer for any case that has happened that you don’t want to talk about,” Brzezinski said. “Because there are cases across the country where people who are paying taxes, who have licenses, who are in the process of trying to get legal papers, are they criminals? Especially those who have kids who have served in the U.S. military. And no, they’re not a public safety hazard!”
“Are you going to let me answer your question?!” Homan said.
“Yes sir,” Brzezinski replied.
“I don’t know the facts of that case!” Homan said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have to look at facts of the case. However, I will say this. If they’re in the country illegally, that is not okay. And people think illegal immigration is a victimless crime, and it’s not.”
He added, “There are millions of people standing in line, taking their tests, doing the background investigation, paying the fees to be part of the greatest nation on earth. And the people who are doing things the right way are sitting on the backseat while we had millions of people come across the border under Biden administration and cheated the system!”
Homan went on to claim 70 percent of those ICE has detained during the Trump administration have a criminal history or are public safety threats, while the remaining 30 percent are national security threats. Brzezinski challenged him to back up the claim.
“I would like to see that data that you’re talking about — the 70 percent, the criminal history,” she said. “I’d love some transparency as to why a lot of these people have been disappeared! You say you have data, we would love to see it. The American people should see this data.”
“Well, here’s the rhetoric again, right?” Homan shot back. “You just [said] disappeared. That is a ridiculous thing to say!”
“Why?” Brzezinski asked.
“Because ICE is doing the same thing we’ve done for decades,” Homan said. “But because of the last four years, ICE wasn’t allowed to enforce the law. ICE was told to sit back and you can’t arrest an illegal alien for simply being here legally. You got to wait until they commit a serious crime and get convicted of that crime. That’s what Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas’s instructions were. And that’s why you saw so much, crime in this country coming from the illegal alien population, because there’s no there’s no law enforcement.”
Watch above via MSNBC.
