Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said Tuesday that she is skeptical of immigration data released by President Donald Trump’s administration, accusing it of not being “the most honest” in reporting border numbers as she mounts a campaign for the U.S. Senate.
During an appearance on NBC News’ Meet the Press NOW, host Gabe Gutierrez pressed Crockett on immigration, a top issue for Texas voters and a central focus of Trump’s second term. Gutierrez noted that border encounters have dropped dramatically and that many Americans view the administration’s approach as a success.
“You obviously have issues with the way he’s going about it,” Gutierrez said. “But has the president been successful — can you acknowledge that — on bringing border encounters down?”
Crockett stopped short of conceding the point, saying she questions the credibility of the figures themselves.
“I will acknowledge that what is being reported is that border encounters are lower,” Crockett said. “I will also say that we know that this administration has not been the most honest when it comes to reporting numbers, as we know that there’s now reporting that they have not been honest about the jobs numbers.”
In addition to faulty jobs reporting, the Biden-Harris Administration was caught in several high profile scandals and lies; most notably concealing Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and the subsequent and unprecedented use of the autopen.
The Texas Democrat went on to criticize the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy, describing it as “inhumane” and accusing Trump of bypassing Congress rather than pursuing comprehensive immigration reform.
“What I can tell you is that he has invoked a very inhumane way of carrying out immigration,” Crockett said. “What I also can tell you is that he has not worked through the Congress, and that’s what we need is comprehensive immigration reform.”
Crockett also alleged abuses tied to immigration enforcement, claiming there has been a “historic number” of deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and asserting that American citizens have been mistakenly detained. She further accused the Supreme Court of giving Trump “carte blanche” to target people based on their appearance or accents.
The Trump administration has repeatedly highlighted falling border numbers. In October, officials announced that fiscal year 2025 ended with the lowest number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions since 1970. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were 237,565 apprehensions at the southwest border in FY2025, compared to 201,780 in FY1970.
The White House forcefully rejected Crockett’s claims. In a statement to Fox News Digital, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson dismissed Crockett’s comments entirely.
“This is a bizarre conspiracy theory from a woman who couldn’t even properly read the FEC website before telling lies on the House floor,” Jackson said. “It’s a fact that the border is the most secure in history, and dangerous criminal illegal aliens are being deported thanks to President Trump’s policies.”
Crockett, who has become one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken critics of ICE and Trump’s immigration agenda, has previously likened immigration enforcement to “slave patrols” and also said America needs immigrants because blacks are “done picking cotton.” As her Senate bid moves forward, immigration is expected to remain a defining — and polarizing — issue in her campaign.
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And, I’m accusing Jazzy of being an inept leader that lies.
We are not enslaving these illegal immigrants, we are liberating them back to their own countries.