Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri warns that Democratic immigration policies threaten Western civilization, following the inclusion of his $350 million funding provision for ICE in a recent reconciliation package.
Senator Eric Schmitt, a Republican from Missouri, has issued a stark warning regarding the implications of Democratic immigration policies, claiming they pose a threat to Western civilization. His remarks follow the inclusion of a $350 million funding provision for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a recent reconciliation package aimed at addressing the issue of sanctuary cities.
In an interview with Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Schmitt criticized what he termed the Democrats’ “suicidal empathy” regarding immigration, asserting that their approach is driven by political self-interest rather than a genuine desire for moral high ground. “There’s an electoral play here. It’s about raw power,” he stated.
Schmitt’s provision, which was part of the House-passed funding package, is designed to allocate resources for ICE agents to arrest criminal illegal immigrants upon their release from state or local custody. This initiative comes in response to the ongoing refusal of law enforcement in sanctuary states and cities to cooperate with federal immigration officials.
The senator emphasized the importance of asserting national sovereignty in the face of what he perceives as a growing threat. “I think it’s a very important time for Western civilization, honestly, to stand up and say, ‘no, we actually believe in sovereignty. We believe that a country can decide who can come and who has to go,'” he said. “And the easiest of low-hanging fruit is to say that when you’re here illegally and you’ve committed a violent act, when you’re released from prison, we’re actually going to send you back home, and that’s what this legislation does.”
Schmitt pointed out that many sanctuary cities and states actively disregard federal immigration laws, opting instead to release criminal illegal aliens back into their communities rather than facilitating their deportation. “And I know that sounds crazy, but that’s the practical implication,” he explained, noting that there were approximately 18,000 such cases in 2025 alone.
Highlighting the dangers posed by this approach, Schmitt stated, “These violent rapists or other violent criminals are just being let loose into the community.” He further argued that the mere act of being in the country illegally, even without committing a violent crime, should warrant deportation. “But these sanctuary jurisdictions have decided that they would rather let these criminal illegal aliens back in the community than have them deported. That’s how inverted the morality is on all this,” he continued. “And so this sets to right that wrong. It says that these sanctuary jurisdictions… you don’t want to cooperate? Okay, well we’re going to have the resources to go do it on our own with ICE.”
Schmitt’s successful provision comes amid ongoing discussions about the funding bill and the broader implications of immigration policy. Recent incidents involving criminal illegal aliens have reignited public concern. For instance, four members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua street gang recently pleaded guilty to the murder of two Americans, while another illegal alien in California was accused of killing a two-month-old baby.
Schmitt expressed confusion over the Democratic Party’s stance on immigration, stating, “I can’t explain why they wanted an open border. I can’t explain why they don’t want criminals deported from this country. I can’t explain why they don’t want people denaturalized who have committed terrorist acts in this country.” He added, “That’s on them, but we’ve got a job to do, which is to make the American people more safe.”
In addition to the moral implications, Schmitt argued that arresting criminal illegal aliens upon their release from jail is a safer approach than conducting immigration raids. He expressed disbelief that such a policy had not been implemented sooner. “I can’t believe it hadn’t happened before, but I also don’t know that we’ve really been confronted with political leaders on the other side here who just don’t believe in the sovereignty of our country,” he said. “I mean, they wanted to defund ICE. They don’t really want enforcement of our federal immigration laws, and I think the American people do.”
As the debate over immigration policy continues, Schmitt’s provision represents a significant step in addressing concerns about public safety and the enforcement of immigration laws, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions.
According to Fox News, Schmitt’s stance underscores the growing divide between political parties on the issue of immigration and the challenges faced in ensuring national security.