US Immigration Attorney David Leopold has been grilled by GBN America host Patrick Christys on the southern border's migrant crisis amid claims that US President Joe Biden is 'flying migrants into the US' before assessing their asylum claims.
A Freedom of Information Act revealed that the Biden administration flew in 320,000 illegal migrants as part of a Customs and Border Protection program in 2022.
White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández has denied the reports of secretly flying people into the country, claiming they are 'categorically false'.
They added that the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants were 'thoroughly screened'.
Patrick Christys questioned Leopold on whether flying migrants into the US is a 'good solution'
GBN America
Leopold was questioned on the claims by GBN America host Patrick Christys, responding: "I don't know where you heard these claims, but that's just disinformation."
"Show me the facts - sneaking people into the country makes no sense."
Leopold questioned if the flights may have been part of the US legislation surrounding Humanitarian Parole, which was created via the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act.
He told Patrick: "As for somebody crossing the border, and applying for asylum, the law entitles them to do that. The only people technically who are illegal in the United States are people who have been deported, and re-enter without any kind of authorisation."
Patrick Christys grilled Leopold on the Biden administration reportedly flying in 'over 300,000 migrants' to the US
GBN America
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Leopold added that those who do cross the border illegally into America is a 'civil violation' and not a crime.
Patrick fought back against Leopold's argument, quoting a report which stated Joe Biden's administration "has admitted transporting migrants on secret flights to the US and lawyers for its immigration agencies".
He explained: "Customs and Border Protection has refused to disclose crucial information about a program last year arranging flights for thousands of undocumented immigrants from foreign airports directly to US cities."
Leopold denied that the program was the "transportation of undocumented immigrants" and explained the Customs and Border Protection program was for people to "apply for asylum from outside the country so that they don't come to the southern border".
He told GBN America: "If they pass their credible interview, they pass the first step, yes, they can come in for a hearing. Whether that's a good solution or not, it certainly is not nefarious illegal immigration."
David Leopold said the US 'needs immigrants' to come into the country
GBN America
Patrick pressed the lawyer and questioned if the move was 'really a good solution' for the US, given the soaring migrant crisis at the border.
Leopold responded: "They're not illegal if they're applicants for asylum, right? Because they're entitled to their day in court. I would rather have them come in from a remote destination than come to the southern border.
"If we want to shut down illegal or undocumented immigration at the southern border, one way to do that is to do interviews in remote countries, which is what's going on, and if they pass those interviews, then yes, they have the right to come before an immigration judge in the United States.
"So you can't win with this kind of rhetoric, because no matter what happens, people are coming in."
