Fox’s Harris Faulkner’s Linking Migrants to CEO Killing is Irresponsible and Inaccurate

Following the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on Wednesday, Fox News host Harris Faulkner was quick to link his killing to undocumented migrants. In a segment on “Outnumbered,” she suggested that the New York City Police Department may have a harder time tracking down the killer “because we’ve let in so many illegals.”

It seems that Faulkner, along with other Fox News hosts, cannot stop promoting the myth that undocumented migrants are dangerous criminals. This notion is not supported by research, nor does it fit with what is known so far about Thompson’s killing. And it raises questions about who deserves to be called “illegal.”

In a discussion about Thompson’s killing, Faulkner said, “We just found out that we have 58,000 extra criminals on the ground here because we’ve let in so many illegals… and among them are some vicious, violent murderers.” She went on to say, “Not that this has anything to do with this case, except for this – that’s extra footwork for the NYPD.”

In mentioning “58,000 extra criminals,” Faulkner referred to a November report from the New York Post citing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) figures. But when similar data was reported earlier this year, it was found to lack critical context. Many of the immigrants with criminal records were already incarcerated in jails and prisons, while some had served time, but our government was unable to deport them back to their country of origin. Faulkner provided no details about the new statistics.

According to The Independent, Faulkner also stated that migrants in New York City intend to “live a life of crime” and that their presence made the job of locking down a crime scene more difficult.

Yet study after study has shown no link between immigrants – including the undocumented – and violent crimes. Despite the attention given that high profile crimes like the killing of nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia by an undocumented immigrant, such incidents are not part of a larger trend. The New York Times has noted that New York City, Chicago, and Denver have all seen an influx of migrants over the past few years, during which times the murder rates in those cities have fallen. New York City has been closing migrant shelters as the number of arrivals has lately dropped.

If Faulkner believes that migrants are impeding the NYPD from locking down a crime scene, she underestimates the abilities of the police. The NYPD has a highly trained and dedicated Homicide unit, which does not seem to be hampered by the city’s large undocumented population in searching for Thomson’s killer. In fact, undocumented people, at times, help the police by coming forward as witnesses to crimes or informants. That’s why a special visa is available for migrants who cooperate in law enforcement investigations.

The NYPD says that Thompson’s killing was a “premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.” The NYPD Chief of Detectives described the alleged killer as “light-skinned.” The suspect is believed to have fled the scene on an electric bicycle. The Associated Press reports that the suspect left behind a message with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on ammunition casings. Do any of these facts point to the suspect in this fatal shooting being undocumented? No.

Faulkner might want to be more careful about using terms like “illegals.” Most of the thousands of migrants who have arrived in New York City recently have already been processed at the border and are awaiting adjudication of their asylum claims. This form of humanitarian relief is their legal right under existing law. It is both inaccurate and inappropriate for Faulkner to make assumptions about their immigration status. Only an immigration judge can determine whether a person is here unlawfully.

Defining human beings by their perceived lack of immigration status or criminality is never a good idea. The president-elect is a convicted felon and has tapped multiple convicted criminals for jobs in his administration. Using Faulkner’s harsh standards, all of them could be labeled “illegals.”

Although the Thompson murder case is still developing, it’s unlikely that an asylum-seeker, a DACA recipient, or a day laborer had a grievance with a healthcare executive. For Faulkner to imply otherwise is simply more on-brand, irresponsible scapegoating of immigrants by Fox News.

Raul A. Reyes is an attorney and contributor to NBC Latino and CNN Opinion. Follow him on X: @RaulAReyes, IG: raulareyes1.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.