‘Racist’ to cite immig crime rise, Dem says

A Democratic congressman has claimed it’s “racist” to suggest migrant crime is rising following the death of nursing student Laken Riley as he campaigned for President Biden ahead of a Thursday event at the southern border.

“This immigrant crime narrative is racist,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said in a press call organized by Biden’s re-election campaign Wednesday, according to the Washington Examiner. “It is not true,” he insisted. “Donald Trump is out here saying we’re poisoning the blood of this country — and the facts don’t bear that out.

“Immigrants, by and large, are committing less crime. So whenever this narrative comes forward, you know, it’s just an untrue narrative.”

The Biden administration has been facing criticism for its immigration policies and high-profile violent crimes across the United States that have been linked to migrants, even as the murder rate in major cities and the country as a whole dropped last year as the migrant crisis surged.

In Georgia, Venezuelan national Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, is accused of bashing in Riley’s skull in a brutal attack on the University of Georgia campus.

And in New York City, police are trying to crack down on a Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua, members of which are accused of beating cops and participating in a slew of robberies.

One issue hampering border officials’ ability to screen for known criminals is a lack of resources to check their backgrounds.

But Biden on Wednesday tried to tout his efforts to tackle crime across the country, saying his administration’s investment in local police and crime-plagued cities under the American Rescue Plan brought down the nation’s homicide rate.

“Since day one, my administration has been working with law enforcement, mayors and community leaders to do what we know works to keep people in the community safe,” he said.