MSNBC host Ali Velshi lamented on Saturday that Americans have a "warped" view about immigration because they're "obsessed" with what happens at the U.S.-Mexico border and the crime that is associated with illegal immigration and narcotics smuggling.
Velshi said the recent images of Border Patrol agents on horseback attempting to stop Haitians from illegally entering the country is another reminder of how "the situation remains much the same at the border," despite the fact the Biden administration has taken steps to halt or reverse many of the policies implemented by former President Donald Trump.
To discuss the latest incident, Velshi brought on Caitlin Dickerson, a staff writer for The Atlantic.
"You and I have talked about this many times. America has just got a warped sense of what immigration policy should look like. It's obsessed with the southern border and criminality. And Democrats and Republicans have shared the blame for this over the years," Velshi said.
"That's very true, Ali. I think that immigration is this divisive issue on the Left and the Right as I write in my piece. It feels at this point like politicians on both sides are so addicted to divisive talking points that we just immediately retract to those places rather than create change," Dickerson said.
"Then you have administrations, whether they're Democrat or Republican, revert back to these deterrent methods that not only often don't work, because we keep seeing surges over and over again, but they are very upsetting for people because you make these whole cloth determinations that vast groups of people are not eligible for entry and then people slip through the cracks and they get sent back into harm's way," she continued.
A source within Border Patrol previously explained to Townhall what people got wrong about Border Patrol agents using horses:
"Agents use their reins for a lot of reasons. Primarily it's used to steer the horse, but agents will also spin them sometimes to deter people from getting too close to the horse. If they get too close, the horse can step on them, breaking bones or causing other injuries. Agents also need to maintain control of their reins so they don't lose control of the horse, which can cause injuries to immigrants, the agents, and the horses."We are not aware of anyone being struck with the reins."
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted on Sunday that over the roughly 15,000 mostly Haitians who illegally crossed into Del Rio last week, around 12,000 were released into the United States.