Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley used a segment about UConn Huskies star Alex Karaban to discuss immigration during Sunday's March Madness broadcast on CBS. The network featured Karaban in a piece detailing his family's history. His mother immigrated to Massachusetts from Ukraine in 1996, and his father came to the United States from Belarus on a work visa in 2001.
After the segment aired, Barkley lamented the treatment of legal immigrants in the country. "I want to be careful with my words right now because this is a really touchy subject for me," he said. He expressed his love for Karaban's family but stated that the treatment of some other immigrants is a travesty and a disgrace.
Barkley drew a distinction between different groups crossing the border. "I think there’s a difference between amazing immigrants and criminal immigrants," he added during the broadcast. He stated that what the country is doing to some amazing immigrants is really unfortunate and sad.
The basketball analyst concluded his thoughts by praising the contributions of immigrants to the nation. "But immigrants built this country, and we should admire them and respect them," Barkley noted. He did not cite specific examples of legal immigrants being treated poorly during the segment.
The Department of Homeland Security routinely announces the arrests of illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes within the United States. However, agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement frequently face criticism regarding their enforcement tactics. This debate has intensified amid ongoing national discussions over immigration policy.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently offered fresh criticism of ICE ahead of a No Kings rally. "We're making clear that no one is above the law in this city, that everyone has to follow the rule of law," Mamdani said. He added that he told the president he believes ICE is a rogue agency that is reckless and delivers nothing toward public safety.