On CNN's “The Source” Tuesday, host Caitlan Collins said it was “off topic” to talk about how people are abusing the asylum system when talking about asylum seekers receiving health care benefits that are being discussed during the government shutdown.
Senator Tim Sheehy (R-S.C.) said, “Now they're saying we're not going to let you let the government function. So, unless you give us $1.5 trillion in money for programs that the American people have basically said they're no longer interested in supporting, including health care for noncitizens, illegal immigrants, health care expansion programs for other countries, in some cases on an export basis, if you don't give us $1.5 trillion to do it, we're going to keep the government closed. This is not a good faith negotiation.”
Collins responded: “Okay, but… well, it's not for people who are here illegally. It's people with a different legal status, people seeking asylum, refugees.”
Sheehy then said, “Yes, but talking about non-citizens is the right thing to do.”
Collins countered: “You were talking about people who are here illegally.”
Sheehy responded, “Some of these people would be considered illegal here.”
Sheehy later said: “[A] There are a lot of people applying for asylum, asking for asylum, but not actually being asylum seekers, this system is being abused by five million, tens of millions, potentially people.”
Collins responded, “But it's a legal process. You can change the law if you don't like it. But my point is, these are not the people who crossed the border illegally.”
Sheehy countered: “But if they abused that process and lied about it, that's illegal. If they falsely applied for asylum status, were granted asylum status during an administration that decided voluntarily….”
Collins then said, “Okay, you're going off topic. What I'm saying is that the people who received DACA, the Temporary Protected Status refugees, these are the people who are getting – who are eligible.”
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