A recent Fox News segment descended into chaos when Geraldo Rivera clashed with Fox host Lawrence Jones over work permits for migrants.
Geraldo argued to Jones that to solve the housing crisis for migrants you give them work permits.
Rivera pointed out that 40,000 migrants needed shelter, then asked. “There is a problem. We have got to deal with the problem. What do you do with the problem? The solution, I believe, is to give expedited work permits to these migrants, bypass some of the red tape, let them work to pay for their own hotel rooms.”
Jones shot back saying, “I’m sorry though, why would we give work permits to people who broke the law here? There has to be some consequence for coming into the country illegally and rolling out the red carpet, giving them notices to appear. Three years out and giving them work permits is only going to incentivize more people to come here illegally, right?”
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York called those who oppose taking in migrants “bigoted” on Monday. while floating the idea of housing migrants in aircraft hangars at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona began busing migrants to New York City and other so-called “sanctuary” cities in 2022.
Over 1.2 million illegal immigrants have been encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border during fiscal year 2023, according to data released by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), following 2,378,944 encounters in fiscal year 2022 and 1,734,686 in fiscal year 2021, while Fox News reported that 600,000 migrants evaded CBP in fiscal year 2022.
“These are people who – they are the grocery deliverers, every pizza in New York is delivered by an undocumented immigrant,” Rivera said. “They are washing the dishes. They want to work. They want the American dream.”
Residents in Chicago and New York City have protested sheltering migrants, citing concerns over safety and whether migrants could be allowed to vote in local elections.
Rivera tried to get Jones to see the good in the situation, but Jones responded, saying, “They haven’t played by the rules, Geraldo. They haven’t played by the rules. And our country is giving them a red carpet now for coming here and breaking the law.”
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