'Simply false': Ana Navarro yells at CNN guest over illegal immigrant crime stats on live TV

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A fiery exchange erupted on 'CNN News Night' on Tuesday, October 1, after 'The View' co-host Ana Navarro shouted down Republican strategist Hal Lambert during a heated discussion about illegal immigration and crime rates.

The tense moment unfolded when Lambert referenced reports of criminal illegal immigrants, prompting Navarro to accuse him of spreading misinformation about detained migrants.

The clash came amid escalating unrest at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, where multiple riots have reportedly broken out in protest of ongoing ICE operations.

The debate turned personal when Navarro interrupted Lambert several times, accusing him of misrepresenting the facts surrounding immigrant detentions.

Ana Navarro says most detained immigrants have no criminal records

When Lambert argued that corporate media had downplayed the threat posed by criminal illegal immigrants, Navarro immediately pushed back.

“No, it’s not what the media would like you to believe,” Navarro snapped. “If there was Tren De Aragua, there would be evidence that there was Tren De Aragua. If there were criminals, there would be evidence there were criminals.”

Before Lambert could respond, Navarro continued passionately, “You know what there is evidence of? There is evidence that the majority of people who have been grabbed are people without criminal records. And many of them have become undocumented because TPS has ended, because programs that made them legal here have ended. So don’t tell me-”

As Lambert attempted to interject, saying “Biden opened the border—,” Navarro cut him off again. “You can say whatever the hell you want about the border, but don’t come here and lie about most of them being criminals, because that is simply false,” she declared, raising her voice as the panel tried to regain control of the conversation.

Hal Lambert cites ICE data showing 70% of detainees are criminals

Lambert, a former Texas Republican Party finance chair, pushed back, insisting that data supports his claim.

“You don’t have the stats on that either,” he said, before Navarro fired back, “Go look it up. Go look it up. CNN has reported the stats.”

However, former ICE Director Tom Homan appeared to back Lambert’s side during a September 25 appearance on Fox News’ 'The Faulkner Focus.'

Speaking to host Harris Faulkner, Homan said he reviews detailed ICE data daily.

“Every morning, when I’m on my way to the White House, I look at 22 pages of data that shows exactly what ICE has done the last 24 hours,” Homan said. “Here’s what the data says: 70%, right about 70% of everybody ICE arrests is a criminal.”

He continued, “Who are the other 30%? Many of them are national security threats that we found… Many of them are final orders, people who had due process… and the judge ordered them removed, we have to remove them, the law requires.”

Homan also noted that a smaller percentage includes “collaterals”, individuals not originally targeted but detained during enforcement operations. His remarks came a day after a shooting at an ICE office in Dallas on September 24, which heightened tensions around immigration enforcement.

Heated debate reignites national discussion on immigration and crime

The confrontation between Navarro and Lambert highlights the growing political divide over immigration enforcement under the Biden administration.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported millions of illegal border encounters since 2021, many of whom have been released into the United States.