Kari Lake, a Republican candidate running for Senate, has sparked controversy with her recent comments on immigration, where she has called for the deportation of 12 million immigrants and squarely blames President Biden for what she sees as lax border policies.
Republican Senate Hopeful Lands Hard on Immigration
Kari Lake, a Republican from Arizona who is running for a Senate seat, has strong views on immigration, and she’s not afraid to talk about it.
Recent comments by the candidate have ignited controversy and brought Lake’s views to the national stage.
Biden to Blame for Influx of Immigrants, Lake Says
Lake blames President Biden for what she considers weak views on the border and says that any migrant living in the United States who arrived after Biden was elected should be deported.
She says he is responsible for “opening up the border on the first day of his administration.”
Lake’s Issues With So-Called “Bidenvasion”
“Anybody who has come across in this Bidenvasion needs to be repatriated back to their homeland,” said Lake.
Ambiguity on the Issue of Dreamers
Despite being explicitly asked if she advocates for the deportation of Dreamers – undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country when they were children – Lake has refused to give a clear answer.
“I’m a Dreamer, and I Have Big Dreams for My Country”
“I don’t know what you want to call them,” she said. “You know what, I’m a dreamer, and I have big dreams for my country.”
Her dismissive comments have set off concerns about how she feels about Dreamers, whose right to stay in the country is currently protected legally.
Explaining DACA
Dreamers, or DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, received legal status after former president Barack Obama issued an executive order preventing their deportation.
Most Dreamers Have Nothing to Go “Back” To
Many DACA recipients were so young when they moved to the United States that they have little to no memory of their birth countries, and it’s been determined that deporting them to countries where they have no life established would cause them undue harm.
Dreamers Tend to Invoke Compassion From Voters
Even Americans with right-leaning opinions on border control tend to have sympathy for Dreamers, and most agree that they should be allowed to remain in the country if they wish.
Lake’s Extreme Views May Be Her Downfall
Politicians like Lake, whose positions on immigration don’t explicitly allow for DACA exceptions, tend to be unpopular with more moderate Republicans.
The Trump-Backed “Immigrants are Criminals” Conspiracy Theory
Perpetuating a belief often touted by former president Donald Trump, Lake cited concerns with “criminals” crossing the border for nefarious purposes.
She claims to have “great compassion for the people coming over,” but says her priority is Americans who were born on this side of the border.
Lake’s Compassion for Americans “Who Have a Dream to Live the American Dream”
“What I have real compassion for is the people who haven’t been shown any compassion, and those are American people, our American children who are dreamers, our American families, our American individuals who have a dream to live the American Dream,” Lake said.
Critics Confused by Lake’s Rambling
Some people found Lake’s opinion difficult to follow as she tossed out statistics that she seemed unsure of.
“We Need to Sort Out the 12 Million People Who Are Here”
“Because of what’s happening with these 9 to 10 or 12 million, depending on which figures you believe, we don’t have access to that. We need to sort out the 12 million people who are here,” she said.
“We Need to Send Them Back to Their Homeland”
“In order to save our homeland, we need to send them back to their homeland, and start repatriating these people back to their homeland.”
Migrants a Common Scapegoat for Republicans
Lake and others like her blame migrants for economic issues, unemployment rates, and crime rates.
A Trump-endorsed candidate, she says she wants to prioritize “finishing the wall” to secure the southern border, claiming that “if the wall didn’t work, Biden wouldn’t have welded the doors open.”
Trouble With “Fake News”
Much like Donald Trump, Lake often claims that the “fake news” media twists her positions. Her officially verified social media bios boast that she is “a nightmare for the fake news.”
Lake’s Views In Her Own Words
However, her campaign website spells out her views clearly in her own words, and those include proposals to limit eligibility for migrants to seek asylum and create more places to detain asylum seekers while they wait to find out if they’ll be allowed into the country.
Lake Weighs In On Homelessness
Immigration isn’t the only issue that Lake takes a hard stance on. On her website, she describes homeless and drug-addicted people as “ruining the quality of life for hard-working, productive citizens and their families.”
Moderates Not On Board With Lake’s Extreme Views
As the Senate race continues, Lake faces challenges in getting moderate Republicans on board with her platform.
Similar to Donald Trump’s view of the 2020 presidential election results, Lake believes she was the rightful winner of the 2022 Arizona race for governor.
Her refusal to concede that race has been met with criticism on both sides of the aisle.
Waiting for Clarification
Voters continue to wait and see whether Lake will elaborate on her deportation statements and clarify whether she thinks Dreamers should also be repatriated.
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The post Kari Lake Calls for Deportation of 12 Million Immigrants, Blames President for “Bidenvasion” first appeared on From Frugal to Free.
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