Padilla: Trump Targeting Illegal Immigrants 'Harmful' to Our Nation’s Interests

Friday on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) said the Trump administration’s targeting of immigrants whose only crime is their presence in this country is harmful to the nation.

Padilla said, “Look, it’s a continuation of the obsession this administration has against immigrants, period. Right? For all their talk about targeting the worst of the worst, the vast majority of people that have been arrested, have been detained — this is ICE’s own data, by the way — do not have the violent criminal convictions on their record. They have no criminal convictions on their record. Their only crime in the eyes of the administration is their presence in this country. But a lot of them work in essential jobs key to essential industries for the American economy, so it’s completely backwards thinking. It’s harmful not just to individuals, families and communities, but to our own nation’s interests. ”

He added, “So that’s what we’re fighting. And sadly, the administration is fighting. We could have had this reform conversation, not just about modernizing our immigration system as a whole, but just the way in which immigration enforcement is happening, right? The requirement for a signed judicial warrant, for example, access to counsel, for example, ICE agents having to identify themselves and not hide behind masks, coming out of unmarked cars. Instead of engaging with that the Republican Party, led by Trump, has wanted to go this partisan-only budget route, and they have frontloaded ICE and CBP for three years of funding so they don’t have to negotiate policy with Democrats.”

Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN