‘The math ain’t mathin’: Jasmine Crockett calls out the double standard in Trump’s immigration policies

Rep. Jasmine Crockett does not believe the Trump administration is trying to restore integrity and security to the immigration process. And this week, the Texas representative came to the House Judiciary Committee hearing on “Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process” with receipts. 

“The idea that Trump and my Republican colleagues want to restore integrity and security in the visa process is actually a joke,” she shared. “Since we’re talking about integrity, I’m confused as to why my Republican colleagues aren’t talking about the lack of integrity when it comes to the president’s family’s visas. Let me remind you all that Melania, the first lady — a model, and when I say model, I’m not talking about Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford or Naomi Campbell-level — applied for and was given an EB-1 visa.”

EB-1 visas, or “Einstein visas,” are employment-based first preference visas. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, you qualify for an EB-1 visa “if you are an alien of extraordinary ability, are an outstanding professor or researcher, or are a certain multinational executive or manager,” with each category having specific requirements. 

“You’re supposed to have some sort of significant achievement, like being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer, being an Olympic medalist, or having other sustained extraordinary abilities and success in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics,” Crockett noted. “Last time I checked, the first lady had none of those accolades under her belt.”

To which Alex Nowrasteh, Libertarian Cato Institute analyst, jokingly noted that “not everybody could marry Donald Trump and I think that’s quite an achievement, so I think she deserves credit for that. Nobody up here could have done it.”

And while Crockett laughed in agreement, her arguments around the president’s integrity were not only filled with personal jabs. 

“Integrity is not snatching lawful visa holders off the streets and throwing them into unmarked vans,” she shared. “Integrity is not revoking visas based on social media posts that hurt somebody’s little feelings, because kids decided they want to go after Trump or this administration. We have a thing called free speech in this country.”

“What Republicans are doing with this reconciliation process, the travel bans, and revoking visas jeopardizes our national security. It threatens our communities, our higher education, and our economy. Visas like the largely vetted J-visas for higher education and M-visas for trade training attract the next innovators, medical providers, researchers, and educators that we need to build on American success,” she concluded her speech.