Tucker Carlson debated a professor who said that if some Americans were less “ignorant” of the facts surrounding immigration, they would become more in favor of it.
Ilya Somin, who teaches at the Antonin Scalia Law School of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., said not all immigration opponents are ignorant, but the majority are.
He said that due to citizens’ busy lives they do not have time to research statistics like comparative crime rates versus American citizens.
Carlson said that in many immigrant-heavy areas like California and New York, the welfare states have bloated over the last several years.
Somin responded that Texas is an example of a state with high immigrant populations but steady welfare and crime statistics.
Carlson said that many immigrant groups hold views and values counter to those of longtime American citizens, and are therefore more likely to vote for liberal Democrats.
He said that although Hispanic immigrants supporting banning gay marriage in California, they have turned a state formerly governed by Ronald Reagan and Pete Wilson into a one-party Democratic stronghold.
Somin again pointed to Texas as a red state and later reiterated that immigration opponents are sometimes good people but are ignorant of public policy issues on the topic.
“But, why call them names?” Carlson asked.
“People can have legitimate views based on ignorance.” Somin said.
