In a stunning display of the Democratic Party’s ongoing effort to blur the line between citizenship and lawbreaking, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) claimed that illegal immigrants—who by definition broke federal law to enter or remain in the country—are merely “long-term residents of the United States who happen to be undocumented.” The remark highlights the Left’s continued push to downplay the rule of law in favor of feel-good rhetoric, redefining criminal entry into the country as nothing more than a paperwork issue.
During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Padilla doubled down on his defense of illegal immigration, claiming his mission is to protect the millions of undocumented individuals living in the United States from what he called an “aggressive” and “cruel” approach to enforcement. Padilla criticized the Trump administration's efforts to arrest, detain, and deport those who entered the country illegally, painting law enforcement and immigration officials as the villains, rather than acknowledging the legal consequences of breaking U.S. immigration laws.
Democrat Senator Alex Padilla says illegal immigrants - who broke the law - are actually just "long-term residents of the United States who happen to be undocumented." pic.twitter.com/OOqooF0VNk
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 3, 2025
Padilla is just one of many left-wing voices in Congress that continue to weaken immigration enforcement, reward illegal entry with taxpayer-funded benefits, and vilify anyone who dares to demand secure borders. By rebranding illegal immigrants as “undocumented residents,” Padilla and his fellow Democrat colleagues are attempting to erase the distinction between those who respect the nation's laws and those who break them.
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Padilla, and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) previously urged former President Joe Biden to “Trump‑proof” immigration policy by protecting “long‑term immigrant communities” such as DACA and TPS holders from large-scale deportation. Those individuals were described as community pillars rather than lawbreakers. Padilla and a coalition of over 80 House and Senate Democrats also called on Biden to streamline legal status for illegal immigrants who had lived in the U.S. for years, signing letters urging action to protect those they repeatedly described as long‑term residents contributing to the nation.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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