Rep. Jasmine Crockett Criticized for Deportation Comments Amid Ongoing Migration Crisis

Washington, D.C. — Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, is facing significant backlash on social media after expressing sympathy for countries that could be impacted by mass deportations from the United States. Her remarks come amid a backdrop of millions of migrants entering the U.S. under the Biden administration.

Crockett, a first-term progressive known for her controversial statements, made her comments during a video posted on Instagram, where she has 1.3 million followers. She criticized Republicans for voting against an amendment meant to prevent the deportation of U.S. citizens, calling their actions a violation of civil rights.

“As far as I’m concerned, you randomly kidnapping folk and you throwing them out of the country against their civil rights, against their constitutional rights,” Crockett stated. “And, frankly, how would they feel if some other country decided that they were gonna just start throwing people randomly in our country? Like that is absolutely insane.”

Her comments followed a vote in the House where Republicans rejected legislation aimed at clarifying that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot detain or deport U.S. citizens. Crockett highlighted a recent case where a U.S. citizen child was deported alongside her undocumented mother, stating that this incident illustrates the dire consequences of current immigration policies. Homeland Security confirmed that the deportation occurred because the mother was not a citizen.

Crockett was joined in her criticism by colleagues such as Representatives Eric Swalwell from California and Pramila Jayapal from Washington. She emphasized, “Literally they just voted, they being the other ones, not us because we were all on the right side of history. They just voted to give Trump the legal ability to deport U.S. citizens.”

The controversy did not go unnoticed by Republican members of Congress. Representative Mark Harris from North Carolina remarked, “Other countries have been ‘just throwing people randomly’ into our country for decades, Rep. Crockett.” Meanwhile, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia referred to Crockett as “one never-ending campaign ad.”

In a broader context, Republicans in Congress are pushing a significant budget bill that aims to fund enhanced border security measures, including the deployment of nearly 20,000 new personnel and annual deportation quotas for up to 1 million immigrants. This plan accompanies a proposal for increased fees for asylum seekers.

Crockett’s statements on deportation are not her only controversial remarks this year. In March, she drew criticism for referring to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has a disability, as “Governor Hot Wheels,” insisting later that her comments were misunderstood.

Despite the backlash, Crockett seeks to solidify her position within the Democratic Party, reportedly campaigning for the role of chair on the House Oversight Committee, currently held by Representative Gerry Connolly from Virginia, who is battling cancer. In a message to colleagues, she expressed confidence in taking on the challenges facing the party under the current administration, stating she is “made for the moment.”