Conservative radio host Ben Ferguson pushed back hard Monday after former Univision anchor Maria Elena Salinas compared illegal immigration to getting a DUI. The heated exchange took place on CNN NewsNight, where Salinas claimed entering the U.S. illegally was not a serious crime.
“It is a misdemeanor just like a DUI is a misdemeanor,” Salinas said, downplaying the legal consequences of crossing the border without authorization.
Ferguson fired back. “If I get hit by a drunk driver and died. Don’t tell me that’s a misdemeanor when he crashed my family over going 100 miles per hour. I’m sorry, if you want to say that a DUI is somehow a misdemeanor and we should treat it like it’s not committing a criminal act, you said it’s a misdemeanor like it’s the same thing. It’s still breaking the law,” he said.
Salinas acknowledged that reentering the U.S. after deportation is a crime but insisted those individuals aren’t automatically rapists or murderers. She also falsely claimed Trump only wants to deport violent criminals—when in reality, Trump has said violent offenders will be the priority, not the sole target.
According to U.S. Code § 1325, it’s a federal offense to enter the U.S. outside legal channels or under false pretenses. A first offense can result in up to 6 months in jail, while repeat offenses can lead to two years behind bars. Visa overstays, on the other hand, are typically civil violations.
Ferguson’s rebuttal comes as illegal immigration continues to dominate headlines. Several high-profile crimes involving illegal immigrants have shocked the nation. Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was brutally murdered by a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally. In another case, two Venezuelan nationals were charged with raping and murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungary in Houston.
Just last year, Rachel Morin—a mother of five—was raped and murdered by another illegal immigrant, adding to public outrage over border enforcement failures.
Tensions boiled over in Los Angeles following ICE raids that led to the arrests of more than 100 illegal immigrants. DHS said those detained included individuals convicted of second-degree murder, assault with intent to commit rape, grand theft larceny, and assault with a deadly weapon. DHS referred to them as the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
The arrests sparked violent protests. Rioters set cars ablaze, smashed businesses, and spray-painted anti-Trump slogans across the city. Law enforcement has made several arrests, but the unrest shows no signs of slowing down.