Republican Nassau County Executive Blake Blakeman pushed back against Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman on Tuesday after he claimed migrants are being “vetted” at the border.
Goldman began his five-minutes by telling the witnesses that none of them have any “expertise” on immigration and are simply there because they are allegedly friends with the committee’s chairman.
“Mr. Blakeman, you are aware that every single migrant who has come through the New York City, the Roosevelt Hotel has been vetted at the border, are you not?”
“Uh, they have not sir–”
“Yes they have,” Goldman argued. “The ones who have gone through official channels, on the — through the city — ” Goldman said before Blakeman corrected him.
“Sir may I answer your question?”
“— have been vetted by at the border. I mean that’s — that’s a fact,” Goldman said. (RELATED: ‘They Broke The Law’: Geraldo Rivera, Fox News Host Clash Over Work Permits For Migrants)
“You asked me a question — ”
“I’m asking if you know or not.”
“Would you like the answer for that?” Blakeman shot back.
“Let me ask you another question,” Goldman said. “Are you aware that –”
“Are you gonna let me — ”
“No, I’m not. I’m not going let you because you already answered it.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Are you aware that the proportion of migrants who have come through New York City who commit crimes is far lower than the general population.”
“Uh sir, I would not agree with your facts. I have spoken extensively with our police commissioner who has indicated to me that because of the migrant policy, there has been a spike in crimes, especially organized burglaries–”
“Wait, sorry, who, uh, who, who, the commissioner?”
“The commissioner Patrick Ryder, we have the finest police department –”
“From where?” Goldman asked.
Blakeman informed Goldman that Ryder was appointed by a Democratic county executive and was retained when Blakeman took office.
“What county?” Goldman asked.
“The greatest county in America, Nassau county,” Blakeman said.
“Well let me tell you, in New York City, where almost all of these migrants are, the crime is much, much lower among the migrant community than it is among the general population.”
“I don’t know where you get your facts from, sir,” Blakeman shot back.
“Go check it out, we’re in a public hearing, you can go check it out,” Goldman shot back before moving onto a different witness.
Fellow New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney demanded to know in August how federal authorities were vetting the migrants who were coming to New York after several were accused of crime, including rape, according to the New York Post.
A Venezuelan national was arrested and released six times in the course of two months in New York City for 14 different charges. The migrant allegedly attacked at least three strangers and two cops, The Post reported.