Dem Rep Jasmine Crockett claims entering the country illegally is ‘not a crime’

Speaking to MSNBC’s Katie Phang, Crockett claimed that “It is not a criminal violation to enter the country illegally… it’s not a crime.” She went on to claim that Republican officials are frustrated because they “really want our local law enforcement to go out and round up people when they could be looking out for the murderers and the sex abusers.”

“Don’t give me this fake outrage about criminals roaming our streets when you guys stand ten toes down for the biggest criminal we have ever seen go into the White House,” Crockett added, in reference to President Donald Trump.

Crockett’s statement was quickly challenged for being inaccurate. Senator Mike Lee reposted a video of Crockett’s remarks, commenting, “Yeah, it’s literally a crime,” and citing the relevant US code.

Under federal law, it is a crime to enter the US illegally because it is punishable by imprisonment. Entering the country unlawfully can result in both criminal and civil penalties.

As the Trump administration has expressed its efforts to go after those who are in the country illegally, it has emphasized the importance of primarily targeting illegal immigrants who are convicted of other crimes. Last month, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested four illegal immigrants in Washington with convictions or charges related to sexual assault, including one individual charged with child rape.

Trump border czar Tom Homan has vowed to remove criminal illegal immigrants, telling Fox News last month “At last count we had almost 600,000 illegal aliens in the United States with a criminal conviction. I won’t be happy until we eradicate every one of those.”