During Wednesday’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” host Tucker Carlson sparred with Univision anchor Jorge Ramos over many Americans’ concerns about illegal immigration and the impact it will have in the future.
Ramos argued that Americans actually benefit from illegal immigrants, but Carlson cited that 15 percent of the illegal immigrants are federal inmates.
Partial transcript as follows:
CARLSON: Get back to the point that you were making a minute to go, that Americans have no right to be concerned about the dramatic demographic change taking place in their country. Let me just stipulate. I am for getting along, I am for colorblindness, I’m for tolerance 100 percent. But I also think that if things radically change your country, it’s okay for you to say, “What is this?” And maybe, “I don’t want to live in a country that looks nothing like the country I grew up in.” Is that bigoted? It seems to be in Mexico you would be allowed to say that.
AMOS: Well, we have to understand that there’s a demographic waiver revolution if you want to call it, happening right here in the United States. Right now, there are about 60 million Latinos. In about 35 years, there’s going to be 100 million Latinos. One in three is going to be Latinos. So, there is a demographic revolution or a Latino revolution going on. Now, on the other hand if you are implying that there is an invasion to the United States, that is not true.
CARLSON: I’m not saying invasion, I’m really saying you’re name calling. Wait, you’ve come to this country, you make a ton of money, and then you yell at people who say, “Well, wait a second. You know, this is having an effect on my kids’ school, on my culture, on the economy. And your point is you’re not allowed to have that opinion.
RAMOS: Well, actually that is not true. Obviously, it’s having an impact but it’s having a positive impact.
CARLSON: Yes. In some ways it is but not in always.
RAMOS: No, no, no. Overall, there is an immigration surplus. All immigrants contribute about $2 billion to the economy of the United States. You know, immigrants contribute and put much more money into the system than what they take out in social services according to the National Academy of Sciences. In 20 years, it’s been $54 billion in input on immigration surplus. So, it is great to have immigrants in this country.
CARLSON: Those numbers aren’t exactly right, but I think some immigrants contribute a lot…
I just want to make the point that there is a downside as well. There’s clearly an upside, and we all recognize people like immigrants actually in America, despite your claims. They do. But there’s also a downside. 15 percent of federal inmates, prisoners are Mexican citizens. So like, why shouldn’t I be allowed to say that’s a problem? I don’t want criminals here from another country. They’re not even citizens.
RAMOS: That’s precisely the problem. Because you, like Donald Trump, are also criminalizing the immigrant population and that is not true.
CARLSON: I’m not criminalizing! I’m noting the facts of who they are.
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
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