Podcaster Joe Rogan expressed his views on Thursday regarding the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in carrying out controversial raids. He suggested that Democrats have facilitated the entry of millions of undocumented immigrants for political purposes, even though there are some complications with these strategies.
Rogan pointed out, “If you could sign a piece of paper saying, ‘We’re going to let a bunch of people in—most of them without violent criminal records, but around 8% are dangerous, sociopathic killers or drug dealers… that’s a significant percentage.’” He emphasized that even 8% is quite a number, raising concerns about safety.
He further questioned whether ICE really needed to take such actions, indicating that the situation arose due to decisions made by Democrats. “They did something extreme. They opened the borders and made it seem like anyone could come in. When attempts to control the situation began, they resorted to legal measures,” Rogan elaborated.
Rogan mentioned an analysis suggesting that 5% to 8% of undocumented immigrants detained by ICE have records for violent or serious property crimes. He reacted, saying, “You’d be crazy to think that’s not a lot. That’s a sizable amount of people.”
When discussing Texas Democrats’ efforts to counter the state’s border security measures, Rogan reflected, “What did they do near the Texas border? Did [Texas Gov. Greg] Abbott try to build a wall or something?” His guest, Ehsan Ahmad, acknowledged these actions, leading Rogan to question why lawmakers couldn’t prevent illegal crossings. “How can you say you can’t stop people from breaking the law?” he remarked, hinting that there are methods to address the issue that are not being used.
While Rogan has critiqued ICE’s tactics in the past, he still sees value in their work. He acknowledged, “When I criticize ICE, it’s important to recognize that what people see online often depicts a grim side of police work. Not all aspects are as bad as they seem.” He underscored that amidst the negative portrayals, ICE has detained a significant number of violent offenders, which is often overlooked.
Rogan also pointed to a political strategy in play, suggesting that Democrats could be leveraging immigration for electoral advantages. “The reality is that the census counts everyone, including undocumented individuals. If a community has a large number of undocumented residents, it can skew representation and lead to more political influence for that district—a manipulation of political power through population changes,” he stated.
