In September 2021, Daniel Foote resigned as U.S. special envoy for Haiti in protest over what he called the “inhumane, counterproductive decision [by the Biden administration] to deport thousands of Haitian refugees...” It was one of the largest mass expulsion operations in recent history at the time, causing widespread uproar.
Not long afterward, Foote appeared before lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss “U.S. Policy Toward Haitian Migrants,” where he explained the “grave” state of the security, economic, and health situations in the country.
“Haiti can’t support the people it has there right now. The last thing they need is desperate people without anything to their names because they just spent everything trying to get to the states coming back — there’s no safety net. It’s just a recipe for human tragedy,” he said.
It was in that hearing that Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York asked how the diaspora can help stabilize the country.
“I’m from Brooklyn,” she said. “We have a diaspora that can absorb a significant number of migrants and when I hear colleagues talk about the doors of the inn being closed, no room at the inn, I’m saying I need more people in my district for redistricting purposes, and those members could clearly fit here.”
While the lawmaker's comment during the hearing took place on Oct. 7, 2021, the resurfaced clip is going viral as the border crisis rages on, and is now taking a toll on New York City and other areas due to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's efforts sending buses full of illegal border crossers to sanctuary cities. With the Biden administration's failure to step up, the Republican governor has argued it shouldn't just be border states that carry the burden.
Critics allege many Democrats are fine with mass illegal immigration because it suits them politically. Indeed, the popular X account End Wokeness accused Clarke of "saying the quiet part out loud about the border" in the clip, which caught the attention of Elon Musk, Abbott, and many other prominent individuals.
Congresswoman from New York explains why she supports illegal immigration:
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 10, 2024
"I need more people in my district JUST FOR REDISTRICTING PURPOSES.”
These Democrats are looking out for themselves, not for America. https://t.co/40ao7wfhcI
We need more people to come to America illegally - so I can keep my job in Congress.
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 9, 2024
If you want to know why Ds support illegal immigration, here’s your sorry answer.
It's stunning she said it. https://t.co/NxzJbG5sgN
This is something usually said into a hidden camera.
— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) January 9, 2024
😮 https://t.co/csfMrnmiQ8
Here’s the big scam nobody is talking about.
— Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) January 10, 2024
Congressional seats are allocated by population. Higher population states get more congressional seats, and therefore more political power in Washington.
Blue states have been LOSING seats as people flee progressive policies. We’re… https://t.co/W32oTwzoFL
Replacement Theory 👇 https://t.co/gYRzFOCJS7
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) January 10, 2024
President Trump's effort to exclude illegal aliens from being considered for purposes of congressional apportionment was stymied by the courts.
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) January 10, 2024
Opponents of considering the number of aliens for purposes of apportionment highlight how voters in congressional districts with high…
Clarke responded directly to Musk, dismissing the remarks as "years old" and "out of context."
Either @elonmusk didn’t realize a right wing troll used a clip of me from years ago out of context to attack immigrants or he didn’t care.
— Yvette D. Clarke (@RepYvetteClarke) January 10, 2024
It says a lot about him and the downfall of @X under his so-called leadership. https://t.co/XRDe0iqv4X
Republican congressional candidate Joel Anabilah-Azumah took issue with her response.
“The clip is clearly not out of context,” he replied. “This discussion did not begin yesterday. This has been a discussion for YEARS because many communities have struggled to absorb unscheduled newcomers. In fact, both DeBlasio and @NYCMayor made disparaging comments when Texas and other border communities complained about their quality of life. Now, @NYCMayor is experiencing the same issue that the border communities are and you don't really care.”
He added: "The folks in New York's 9th Congressional District realize that you don't care about their quality of life...immigration is an important part of maintaining the US workforce, but we cannot handle the level of immigration that we are dealing with. There are not enough jobs, housing, and resources to handle this flow of people."
1) @elonmusk is an immigrant whose family had to go through the actual legal process. I know that you don't know this, but a lot of immigrants who went through the actual process RESENT the fact that migrants are "skipping the line".
— Joel Anabilah-Azumah For Congress NY-09 (@JoelAzumah) January 10, 2024
2) The clip is clearly not out of context.… https://t.co/BCIr7qa12o
