Rep. McClintock on migrants: Dems need voters susceptible to their 'empty socialist' promises

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Rep. Tom McClintock calls out the left for teaching migrants how to make a mockery of asylum laws

California Republican Rep. Tom McClintock says the U.S. has been completely overwhelmed by an unprecedented number of illegal immigrants.

Democrats don't want to fix the massive flow of migrants across the southern border because doing so would take away future voters they need after alienating middle America, Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., argued on Saturday.

Pointing to difficulty in passing funding for humanitarian assistance in June, McClintock asserted that Democratic reluctance stemmed from the fact that mass migration was "serving the agenda of the left."

"They have completely alienated middle America and their future political success depends upon bringing in a new and impoverished population that is susceptible to every empty socialist promise they make," he said, while appearing on "America's News HQ."

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He indicated the U.S. shouldn't be "surprised" that a huge population was flooding the southern border as Democrats promised things like free health care.

McClintock also disputed the idea that poverty and violence in Central and South American countries meant the U.S. should continue accepting an influx of migrants.

"7.5 billion people live on this planet -- most of them live in countries that are impoverished and suffer violence, that doesn't give every person in them the right to come to our country," he said.

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He went on to warn that if mass migration continued, the U.S. would see the same "social and political and economic pathologies that [migrants] are fleeing from."

McClintock's comments came amid intense scrutiny surrounding migrant holding centers and controversy over the way Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents treated detainees. Democrats specifically pointed to a report that current and former CBP agents were part of a Facebook group containing offensive posts about migrants and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

McClintock, on Saturday, suggested the social media posts highlighted by Democrats were markedly different from the culture in CBP. "We have dedicated people who care very deeply about the plight of these illegal immigrants -- they are trying desperately to enforce our laws, take care of a huge number of people that they don't have the facilities or resources for," he said.

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He added that "to vilify that large group of dedicated public servants because of a few yahoos on the fringe, I find despicable."