Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche on Sunday was roasted on social media after he appeared to get a basic fact wrong about U.S. law.
ABC's George Stephanopoulos interviewed Blanche over the weekend, and in a discussion about immigration enforcement noted that "70% of those who have been detained don't have criminal records." Blanche replied with, "Well, just hang on. The fact that they're here illegally is a crime."
In reality, as experts were quick to point out, it is not a criminal case to be in the country without the proper documentation.
Immigration insider Aaron Reichlin-Melnick said, "That’s the Deputy Attorney General getting the law wrong on TV. But don’t trust me, here’s the Supreme Court making the point." He included a reference to Arizona v. United States, which notes, "As a general rule, it is not a crime for a removable alien to be present in the United States."
Former prosecutor Ron Filipkowski chimed in, as well, saying, "Just keep in mind that when Trump and Republicans refer to 'criminal illegal aliens,' they mean everyone who is here on an asylum claim is a criminal. Latino voters who flipped to Trump in 2024 didn't quite get that. They get it now."
