Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a rising star of the Democratic Party of D-Texas, argued that Americans need illegal immigration because Americans work in the country's uncollege-educated jobs.
Crockett reportedly made a comment while speaking at the SXSW Festival on March 8th.
In a video clip that went viral on Friday, Crockett pointed out that Americans don't send their children to college in the hopes of picking crops and cleaning hotel rooms, something illegal immigrants are doing.
“How many people are sending their children to college?” Crockett asked the crowd.
“How many people send their kids to college to go to the farm and work?”
After a lack of response, Crockett added: So that you can have food. ”
The lawmaker continued her claim that Americans do not want to provide these services and products to college-educated children.
“Now, how many people are trying to treat your child so that they can make beds in hotels after this college education?” she asked.
“How many people are planning to send your kids to college? That's what we do, so we send everyone to college. How many people are planning to send your kids to college and they're building and building these houses?” she continued.
“So, as long as we live in a capitalist society, as long as there's always someone or a group of people, some of the others will do work that they don't want to do,” Crockett said.
“These are the people who make us really great in this country. They pay taxes. What do you guess? They can't lower social security. So it's not making us great, so that people can lightly par and target them,” she concluded.
Crockett was on stage with journalist Elian Haynes, editor of the 19th News.
Haynes posted a clip on social media earlier this week and was re-shared on X on Friday, earning over 1 million views in four hours.
in caption Regarding the original video, Haynes said he asked Crockett about President Donald Trump's efforts to “significantly limit immigration,” including allowing immigration law enforcement to raid churches and schools and reopening funding for sanctuary states and cities.
Crockett is not the only Democrat to have this argument in recent years.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (DN.Y.) made a similar comment last year. He said that the country needs “many illegal immigrants” or that our vegetables “rot on the ground.”
In 2023, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also said her state vegetables would begin to “rot” due to the violation of illegal immigration laws.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in 2022 that farmers needed illegal immigration in Florida “to choose crops.”
Crockett gained attention last week by claiming that illegally entering the country is “not a crime” despite violating federal law.
Improper entry into the United States is considered a federal misdemeanor crime in violation of 8 USC 1325, punished by a fine, and placed in prison for up to six months for the first offender.
Repeated offenders can be fined and placed in prison for up to two years.
