Megyn Kelly on Immigration Solutions
On Monday’s episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly suggested that if Republicans truly wish to address the illegal immigration crisis in the United States, they could do so swiftly by implementing electronic verification.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump escalated his immigration efforts by dispatching Border Patrol units to Chicago. Kelly spoke with journalist Michael Schellenberger, noting that many Republicans might oppose her proposed solution. She remarked, “If they really wanted these illegals, they would implement e-verify, and we would put out millions of them overnight. But they don’t do that because they’re still partially beholden to the Chamber of Commerce, which employs many of these illegals on their businesses and farms.”
She further mentioned, “That’s the only reason why he doesn’t do that. But he likes looking tough, and people are interested in seeing this happen.” Kelly feels that while those on the political right see merit in these actions, the left views them with horror. “It’s almost as if we’re back in the middle of the Nuremberg trials,” she added.
In 1996, Congress enacted the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Liability Act (IIRIRA), which mandated that agencies like the Social Security Administration and US Citizenship and Immigration Services establish an Employment Verification Pilot Program. This initiative evolved into E-Verify, a free online tool that allows U.S. employers to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires, as detailed on the program’s website.
Some states, like Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, and Mississippi, require E-Verify for most employers, while others such as California, Illinois, and Nevada either lack mandatory requirements or have laws preventing its compulsory use.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), since Trump took office, around two million illegal immigrants have either been deported or self-reported. This administration is on track to set historical records, estimating that nearly 600,000 illegal immigrants could leave by the end of Trump’s first year in office, with two million departing within 250 days.
Trump is also increasing the number of agents in Democrat-heavy cities like Chicago; however, Republicans have raised concerns regarding the safety of Border Patrol and immigration enforcement officers. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin noted that “dangerous rhetoric” has led to over a thousand percent increase in assaults against ICE officers during enforcement activities.
Trump administration officials, including Tom Homan and DHS executive director Christy Noem, criticized Democratic leaders for their language regarding ICE agents. They pointed to comments from figures like Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who called ICE a “modern Gestapo,” and likened Democrat Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett’s remarks to “slave patrols.”
