Sen. Bernie Moreno questioned a policy witness about illegal immigration during a hearing, pressing him on whether entering the United States without permission should be considered a crime.
The exchange occurred during a discussion on immigration policy, where Moreno repeatedly asked Brendan Duke whether he believed unlawful entry into the country should carry criminal consequences.
Moreno began the questioning with a direct inquiry.
“Do you think it should be a crime to enter the country illegally?” Moreno asked.
Duke responded by saying he was unfamiliar with the issue.
“I don’t know anything about this,” Duke said.
Moreno followed up by clarifying that he was not asking a legal technical question but rather seeking Duke’s personal view.
“You don’t have to, look I’m not a lawyer. You don’t have to be a lawyer. It’s a simple question: should it be a crime?” Moreno said.
“I’ll say it slowly. Should it be a crime to enter the United States of America illegally without permission?”
Duke again replied that he did not know.
“I don’t know anything about this,” Duke said.
Hellbound and Down 