‘Worse Than a Crime’

Who’s right and who’s wrong in the way we talk about illegal immigration.

AP/Alex Brandon
President Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, at the White House on January 28, 2025. AP/Alex Brandon

When it comes to the White House’s apparently new policy of branding any and all illegal immigrants as per se “criminals,” these columns are reminded of Mayor Giuliani’s assessment in 2007 during his ill-starred presidential bid. “It’s not a crime,” Mr. Giuliani explained when illegal immigration came up as a topic on the campaign trail. “I know that’s very hard for people to understand, but it’s not a federal crime.”

That view contrasts with the claim put forward Tuesday by Mr. Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, who, was asked by a reporter, “how many of the 3,500 immigrants arrested since Trump took office have criminal records,” as Axios puts it. “All of them,” Ms. Leavitt replied, “because they illegally broke our nation’s laws.” Beyond that, the press secretary, Axios reports. “declined to say if all the undocumented immigrants had criminal records,” Axios reports.

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