A think tank’s open borders stance drew rebuke from Bill Melugin after recent criminal allegations against an arsonist illegal alien involving hot wax and her children highlighted executive contrast.
“… perhaps one day you will understand …”
Sunday, reports of a fire at a Florida residence prompted a response from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and the arrest of one Meliza Campos-Sanchez of Cuba. The story found Fox News congressional correspondent Melugin challenging anyone to find a crime committed by an illegal alien released under President Donald Trump’s second administration, stirring a back and forth with the Cato Institute’s David J. Bier on the easiest way to prevent violent interactions with “someone who should never have been in the country.”
On Campos-Sanchez, the Department of Homeland Security featured a report on her arrest by NBC6 with videos of her alleged crimes under the caption, “ICE has lodged a detainer for this MIAMI MENACE who poured hot wax on her OWN CHILDREN. Meliza Campos-Sanchez, an illegal alien from Cuba, was RELEASED into our nation by the Biden Administration and has been arrested for child abuse and arson. We will work with our Florida law enforcement partners to ensure she is REMOVED from our country after she faces justice.”
In response, Melugin wrote, “The daily, sometimes multiple times per day, headlines of Biden released illegal alien crimes all over the country are truly astounding. I’m not aware [of] a single incident of illegal alien crime by someone released under Trump 2.0. (Because almost nobody is being released now.)”
The daily, sometimes multiple times per day, headlines of Biden released illegal alien crimes all over the country are truly astounding.
I’m not aware a single incident of illegal alien crime by someone released under Trump 2.0.
(Because almost nobody is being released now.) https://t.co/rm8Kk8vUTb
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 21, 2026
The Fox News correspondent, known for his coverage of the border crisis under President Joe Biden’s administration, went on to add, “If anyone can find a case of migrant crime from an illegal alien released at the border after 1/20/25 I will happily eat some crow!”
This drew an attempted scolding on “anecdata” by Cato Institute Director of Immigration Studies David J. Bier who asserted, “Your biased sample of headlines (because you’re looking for them) doesn’t give you any perspective on the relative likelihood of any particular group committing offenses, which is what actually matters.”
Apparent adoption of the position that not all illegal aliens are violent criminals earned the response, “It’s actually a really simple argument, David. Illegal aliens can’t commit crimes in the U.S. if they aren’t released into the U.S.”
“I know that goes against what you advocate for at Cato, which is literal open borders, but perhaps one day you will understand the frustration for families when their loved ones are killed or harmed by somebody who should have never been in the country,” continued Melugin. “Yes, US citizens of course commit horrible crimes too. Nobody disputes that. I’m not even saying aliens commit more crimes than Americans. I’m saying Angel families don’t want to hear ‘Americans kill too!!!’. They want to know why someone in violation of our nation’s laws, which were passed on a bipartisan basis decades ago, is still in the country, and sometimes released over and over and protected by sanctuary laws.”
“Had laws been enforced, their loved one wouldn’t have ever come in contact with the aliens who harmed them. It’s that simple,” he added.
It’s actually a really simple argument, David. Illegal aliens can’t commit crimes in the U.S. if they aren’t released into the U.S. I know that goes against what you advocate for at Cato, which is literal open borders, but perhaps one day you will understand the frustration for…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 21, 2026
Bier’s accusation the the correspondent lied about policy positions called for receipts, and Melugin brought one as he shared a clip of an interview between the director and Julio Rosas expressing “that the US government should take a position of ‘openness’ and not veto anyone crossing the border if they say they are here for peaceful reasons.”
How am I lying about your position? You routinely advocate for open borders and you literally just told @Julio_Rosas11 in an interview that the US government should take a position of “openness” and not veto anyone crossing the border if they say they are here for peaceful…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 21, 2026
The exchange may have concluded between Melugin and Bier with the latter pivoting to legal immigration and expressing, “This is honestly embarrassing,” but social media wasn’t done as comments reacted affirmatively, just not for the Fox News correspondent.
Yes. It’s embarrassing for you. You’re embarrassing yourself.
— Mostly Peaceful James (@Jameshammer23) August 22, 2026
What percent of immigrants presenting at the border and ports of entry do you envision turning away? Anything in the single digits means Open Borders. You are the one who is mathematically and linguistically challenged (but actually just lying).
— Tex the Cynic (@tex_cynic) August 21, 2026
David likes all forms of immigration except for the ones he doesn’t like, which is none.
— GeorgeSmith2 (@WestMichP2) August 21, 2026
Bro take your L. This is embarrassing
— sprenz (@sprenz427278) August 21, 2026
Bro you’re getting destroyed right now. Just quit lol
— Joe (@devout68533) August 21, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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