Charlie vs. The Students on Immigration

Summary

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The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: Charlie vs. The Students on Immigration

Date: April 18, 2026
Host: Charlie Kirk
Guests: College students (Progressive, Immigrant Advocate, Economics/Policy Analyst)

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Overview

In this episode, Charlie Kirk hosts a contentious Q&A session with college students, focusing on American immigration policy. The conversation spans topics including the moral obligations of a government to its own citizens, border security, economic consequences of immigration, and the distinction between legal and illegal entry. Kirk staunchly defends his restrictionist immigration stance while fielding adversarial questions from students with progressive and libertarian perspectives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. America First: Moral Obligations and Immigration

Charlie’s Core Argument:

• The U.S. government should prioritize its own citizens above foreigners.
• Illegal immigration undermines the social contract, economic stability, and public safety.

Key Quotes:

“America is the best country. Therefore its citizens should come first, not foreigners.”
(Charlie Kirk, 01:40)

“Our government is now providing taxpayer funded cell phones, hotel rooms, benefits, airplane rides, cash for foreigners, but not for Americans… It’s a breakdown of the social contract.”
(Charlie Kirk, 01:58)

Memorable Moment:

• Kirk urges young people to “become activists,” arguing that college is a “scam.” (00:03)

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2. Should the U.S. Help Improve Conditions Abroad?

Student Challenge:

• Why not invest in stabilizing Central America and elsewhere so people don’t feel compelled to migrate?

Kirk’s Response:

• U.S. foreign aid often misused (“bribing these governments”), with little impact on root causes.
• Not the American government’s role to solve other countries’ social or economic issues.

Key Quotes:

“Number two, it is not the role of the American government to solve the problems of Panama, El Salvador and Honduras when our own citizens are suffering.”
(Charlie Kirk, 05:20)

“To solve the problems of the third world would cost trillions of dollars and that would all be laundered and not even work.”
(Charlie Kirk, 08:11)

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3. Immigration Moratorium & Economic Arguments

Charlie’s Solution:

• Calls for a complete shutdown of both legal and illegal immigration.
• Claims American wages are suppressed by increased labor competition.

Economic Counterpoint (Student & Analyst):

• Low unemployment suggests more workers are needed, especially in specialized fields.
• More immigration could fill labor shortages and increase “churn” (movement between jobs), which can elevate wages.

Key Quotes:

“We need a total, complete shutdown of immigration in this country until every single Gen Z person can afford a home and get their act together.”
(Charlie Kirk, 06:23)

“If you want to get wages up, shouldn’t you want to restrict the amount of workers in the workforce?... If you have 200 people you could hire… or 30 people, which pool is going to have the higher average wage?”
(Charlie Kirk, 13:32)

• Analyst concedes a smaller labor pool means higher wages but argues for more job movement for wage growth.
  (13:55)

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4. Legal vs. Illegal Immigration: Crime, Stereotypes, and Punishment

Student (Immigrant Advocate):

• Pushes back against the criminalization of immigrants and stereotypes targeting Hispanic/Latino communities.

Charlie’s Position:

• Illegal entry is a crime regardless of motivation.
• Asserts America cannot open borders for all in crisis and must not “insult” those waiting years to migrate legally.
• Uses analogy: breaking into someone’s home—even with good intentions—remains a crime.

Key Quotes:

“It is an insult to other immigrants from Vietnam and Laos and Pakistan that have to wait decades in line to morally equivalent people that come in and just break in.”
(Charlie Kirk, 18:56)

“If you come into the country uninvited, you have committed a crime and you are a criminal.”
(Charlie Kirk, 19:44)

“No one has a right to go to anybody else’s country. You are invited. It is a privilege, not a right to come into America.”
(Charlie Kirk, 20:17)

Memorable Exchange:

• Student argues her grandfather immigrated illegally to escape tyranny, questioning the “privilege” language. Kirk insists moral clarity requires deporting all illegal entrants. (18:37–21:22)

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5. Is Immigration Harmful or Beneficial?

Kirk:

• Insists illegal immigrants disproportionately commit crimes and strain public resources.
• Argues closing the border protects “the depressed, suicidal, anxious generation [whose] birth rate is collapsing.”

Student Pushback:

• Questions the scope of immigrant crime and necessity of blanket deportations.
• Asserts many undocumented people work hard and contribute positively.

Key Quotes & Moments:

“Illegals every day are doing DUIs, and kids are dying across the country.”
(Charlie Kirk, 23:08)

“If you come into a country uninvited, definitionally, you are a criminal.”
(Charlie Kirk, 25:20)

Notable Analogy:

• Kirk compares illegal entry to someone breaking into a dorm but doing the resident’s dishes:

  “If someone comes into your dorm room and does the dishes and laundry, they can stay?”
  (Charlie Kirk, 24:18)

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6. Underlying Philosophical Divide

Kirk:

• Citizenship is a privilege conferred by invitation; government’s first duty is to existing citizens.
• Sees restrictive immigration as a moral imperative and crisis response.

Students:

• Advocate for greater openness, easier pathways to citizenship, and a more compassionate approach.
• Argue that with “clear path” reforms, U.S. can both protect its people and offer refuge to the oppressed.

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Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• 01:40 — "America is the best country. Therefore its citizens should come first, not foreigners." – Charlie Kirk
• 06:23 — "We need a total complete shutdown of immigration in this country until every single Gen Z person can afford a home…" – Charlie Kirk
• 13:32 — "If you want to get wages up, shouldn’t you want to restrict the amount of workers in the workforce?" – Charlie Kirk
• 18:56 — "It is an insult to other immigrants... that have to wait decades in line to morally equivalent people that come in and just break in." – Charlie Kirk
• 19:44 — "If you come into the country uninvited, you have committed a crime and you are a criminal." – Charlie Kirk
• 20:17 — "No one has a right to go to anybody else's country. You are invited. It is a privilege, not a right to come into America." – Charlie Kirk
• 24:18 — "If someone comes into your dorm room uninvited and they do the dishes and laundry, they can stay." – Charlie Kirk
• 25:20 — "If you come into a country uninvited, definitionally, you are a criminal." – Charlie Kirk

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:03–01:21 — Charlie’s opening remarks on activism, college, and religious motivation.
• 01:21–03:06 — Debate with progressive student on prioritizing citizens vs. immigrants, "pathway to citizenship,” deportation stance.
• 05:00–08:36 — Arguments over aiding foreign countries versus enforcing a closed border; Central American aid effectiveness.
• 09:00–14:06 — Economic analyst discusses unemployment, immigration, wages, and labor market dynamics; Kirk’s economic arguments.
• 17:11–23:06 — Dialogue with first-generation student/immigrant advocate on crime, legal vs. illegal entry, and personal family stories.
• 23:44–26:13 — The philosophical divide: citizenship as privilege, criminal definitions, and closing statements.

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Charlie Kirk maintains an unapologetically hardline, nationalistic, and moralizing tone throughout the episode.
• The students confront Kirk with both fact-based and personal arguments, often appealing to compassion, evidence, or nuance.
• Despite intense debate, the core philosophical and policy divisions remain, with both sides largely unconvinced by the other’s framing.
• Kirk repeats core messaging: sovereignty, prioritization of citizens, and uncompromising enforcement of immigration law.

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Useful for listeners wanting a point-by-point breakdown of immigration debates from a conservative, restrictionist viewpoint confronted by progressive and practical counterarguments.

Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

My name is Charlie Kirk. I run the largest pro American student organization in the country. Fighting for the future of our republic. My call is to fight evil and to proclaim truth. If the most important thing for you is just feeling good, you're gonna end up miserable. But if the most important thing is doing good, you will end up purposeful. College is a scam, everybody. You gotta stop sending your kids to college. You should get married as young as possible and have as many kids as possible. Go start a Point USA College chapter. Go start a Turning Point USA High School chapter. Go find out how your church can get involved. Sign up and become an activist. I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade. Most important decision I ever made in my life. And I encourage you to do the same. Here I am Lord. Use me. Buckle up everybody. Here we go. Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of the Charlie Kirk Show. A company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you could protect your wealth with Noble gold investments@noblegold investments.com that is noblegold investments.com. let's how about the border? We have brought in 5% of the population of Haiti.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

I don't see the issue with that though. Like as you don't see the issue allow allowing immigrants into our country? I mean is that not the foundation? People seeking refuge for the best country in the world. Isn't that the whole point of your like organization? The US is the best country in the world. Shouldn't we be obligated to like help people that are suffering?

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes. America is the best country. Therefore its citizens should come first, not foreigners. So we have an obligation to our own people.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

Yeah, so the pathway to citizenship should become easier.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, we should deport them all back to.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

We should deport them all back to.

[Charlie Kirk]

All back to their home.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

All the immigrants. Okay, well all the illegal foreigners.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes. In Springfield, Ohio, in one town, town English as a second language speakers in one high school went from 250 to 1500 kids in two years. These communities are being overrun. Go down to Aurora, Colorado. Right down the street here, entire apartment complexes are now being run by Venezuelan gangs. Not to mention every day an American citizen is being killed. From Lake and Riley to Rachel Morin to 11 year olds that are being killed in DUI accidents. We have a belief that our founding fathers had, which is if your government does not fulfill its obligation to its own people first, its government is not legitimate. And that's what's happening right now. Our government is now providing taxpayer funded cell phones Hotel rooms, benefits, airplane rides, cash for foreigners, but not for Americans. If you guys as an American citizen want a free cell phone, they'll laugh at you as a foreigner. For Venezuelan, you get one on the southern border. You get a flight to any city that you want. You get a luxury hotel in New York City, you get taxpayer funded health care. That is the inversion that is elevating somebody from a distant land over our own people. When our own kids can't afford homes, when our own people are seeing an increase in crime, homelessness, and we have over 50,000 homeless vets in this country. It's a breakdown of the social contract.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

Wait, so the government should support veterans, citizens more? We should do. Yeah, so. Yeah, so. So we should spend more on our people. Better health care, better social programs. That's literally what you just said.

[Charlie Kirk]

We should spend it on veterans and

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

not on foreigners and American citizens with like cheaper health care. That's what you just said.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, hold on.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

You're phones, airplane rides, public transit. I don't pray for Americans.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, it sounds terrible actually.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

For Americans.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes. Government should not be giving free phones to anybody. Okay?

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

You said that the citizens should come first in those programs.

[Charlie Kirk]

You know how they should come first? By not having to compete against a foreigner for your job.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

But I don't think that's the case. No. When mostly.

[Charlie Kirk]

How about this? If your own perspective was correct, would you feel careful, comfortable going Uber right now to Aurora, Colorado and going to those three apartment complexes?

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

I mean, according to the Aurora police, I probably would. They say the apartments complexes are not overrun.

[Charlie Kirk]

You should get in the car and go. Yeah, and go, go talk to anybody here and go knock on the door and they'll extort you for cash. Because we're a country that is open for looting right now for the entire world. Over 118 countries have entered the southern border that we know of. At least 99 people on the terrorist watch list have come across the southern border. We're talking about people from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, from Iran, people from Pakistan that are coming here and mean harm to the interior of the United States. Not to mention we're breaking down what it means to be a citizen. A citizen should be put first above anybody else. If a government does not do that, then the government is not fulfilling its basic, basic obligation. And the number one obligation is to make sure that its people can have a pathway to a better life and a good life. Not a variety of free stuff, but not have to compete with somebody from Brazil for a home. Not at the. No, but not sure. The way that we're not doing that is that we're importing the third world and we're quickly becoming the third world.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

So why don't we use our resources to improve the third world so they're not coming here rather than.

[Charlie Kirk]

Because that's not the role of the American government. You think we should be concerned about Central American politics? I don't care. I care about our own people. So then you turn the border about

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

those people that are, you know, you

[Charlie Kirk]

know why one, of course I care about it.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

You say you don't want to spend the money to make that change happen.

[Charlie Kirk]

Number one, we've spent trillions, hundreds of billions of dollars. It doesn't do anything any good. Number two. Number two, it is not the role of the American government to solve the problems of Panama, El Salvador and Honduras when our own citizens are suffering and are crying out for help.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

So why has the billions of dollars spent on Central American aid over the last four years? We shouldn't have it slowing rates of sex trafficking in Central America.

[Charlie Kirk]

It hasn't, it hasn't slowed anything.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

No, it's benefact.

[Charlie Kirk]

It hasn't affected anything. What you're talking about is bribing these governments where they then go give it to cartel leaders and say hey, this month send 20,000 people instead of 40,000.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

That's not what that money is going towards. It's going towards NGOs and bottom up stabilization.

[Charlie Kirk]

You think NGOs spend the money correctly?

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

Okay, so nicely.

[Charlie Kirk]

By the way, more people are crossing the Darien gap than ever before. Not to mention we are they're coming across on the CBP1 app across the border into the interior United States in every single state. You cannot continue to have a country if you import, import an unfamiliar third world this quickly into America.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

So be a path to immigration.

[Charlie Kirk]

We should have no immigrants in this country right now.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

No immigrants.

[Charlie Kirk]

We need a total complete shutdown of immigration in this country until every single Gen Z person can afford a home and can get their act together and be able to afford the American.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

So what's your path to Gen Z getting home? Is it just kicking all brown people out?

[Charlie Kirk]

Not brown people.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

I think immigrants. Yeah, we should.

[Charlie Kirk]

Anyone that's here illegally should be deported back to their country of homeland. By the way, it's a moral position.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

H1B visas that like generates autonomy, kick those out.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, you know, it's interesting. H1B we are studying computer anything. Anybody? Computer engineering. You guys have to compete against a foreigner for a job. That's Wrong. Every. Yeah, American. Well, I actually care about the country more than the free market.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

So colleges should better prepare students and better utilize government resources.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, college is a scam. But yes, we went, we did that

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

earlier for, for computer science. They shouldn't go to college.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, actually you don't need to go to college for computer science.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

You don't need to go to college for computer science.

[Charlie Kirk]

You could do a coding class in a couple months.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

You could do a coding class.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes, Alphabet is hiring right now.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

You can get a job at Alphabet Google taking a C class, correct?

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes, yes, they're hiring coders after a 60 day coding class. To answer your question, a country that ceases to secure its own sovereignty and does not think I care more about my own people than the foreigners ceases to be a country. You're a colony and you're something else. And we are seeing our generosity be taken advantage of. I am all for American charities going down to Panama and helping out. I'm all for people giving to charity.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

So we should reallocate US spending towards things that are actually effective for people in and outside of our borders. So then we don't have people coming into our borders and then we can help our people.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, no the way again, if they come to the border and the border is closed and you say hasta la vista, go back to Nicaragua.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

We spend in Central America, they don't have to come to the US and then we have a better US that same amount of spending.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, no, it's, no. First of all, to solve the problems of the third world would cost trillions of dollars and that would all be laundered and not even work. And again, it's not the position of the American government to go throw money around in the Southern triangle. Instead it's our country's closed. We're not open for looting anymore. Go make Nicaragua great again or go do what El Salvador has done. El Salvador is now a safe and stable country and they're seeing their GDP go up. And it's not because of us.

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

Yeah, it is. We put $4 billion into South Central America. Hold on.

[Charlie Kirk]

And you know, Bukele barely took the money. You know why? It's safe. Bukele has turned El Salvador safe because he locked up all the criminals. He locked up 40,000 criminals and put them in prisons. And El Salvador is now safer than America. El Salvador was the murder capital of the world. And now El Salvador is much safer than America. I think it's wrong if you guys are afraid to walk the streets of Denver at night? I wouldn't walk the streets of Denver at night. Would you guys?

[Progressive Student/Interviewer]

No.

[Charlie Kirk]

That's a breakdown of the fundamental role of government. Would you guys walk the streets of L. A at night? No. The streets of San Francisco? No. We can't walk our own greatest cities at night. And we want to bring in more people from the third world. Hell no.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

In the case of immigration, if you hard restrict it and make it harder to get in, the only people who are going to make the attempts to get in or generally going to make the attempts to get in are more likely to commit crimes.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, that's just not. There's no, there's no data or evidence to suggest that at all. When we've had the strictest immigration policies, crime was at its lowest in this country. Well, so in the 1950s.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Correlation.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, no, it's actually direct causation. Right now we have wide open borders. Correct. DNA background testing from over 120 different countries.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Sure. But I don't think that has to do with the process of getting into the country in. Well, it has to do with the process of getting in the country because if it's extremely difficult to get in through legally, people are going to resort to coming through illegally. Well, is that not true?

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, but we should just prevent both. That's the point.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

You should, you should prevent people getting in in any way.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, well, we should have a total immigration moratorium in this country.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

We have like the lowest unemployment we've had in a long time. Wouldn't we want more workers?

[Charlie Kirk]

No, we want wages to go up for American workers. Yeah, it's the opposite. Well, so you want to restrict the labor pool so that you guys get the jobs first, not some competitor from Korea or Japan that comes in and steals your tech job. Shouldn't we invest in American workers first before we should? We should, but why do you think wages are not keeping up with inflation? Because we're bringing in millions of people into this country every single year that you guys have to compete against. And they don't have student loan debt if we're. So they're able to undercut wages every single year. Continue.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

If we're bringing in so many people, I don't think we would have as low unemployment as we would right now, would we?

[Charlie Kirk]

There's two types of unemployment. There's structural unemployment and then there's specialized unemployment. Specialized unemployment is very, very high, which is about 8 to 9%, which is more computer science, data engineering. But we, we have millions of people that have entered the disabled roles Too, so. But to your point, we do have millions of people coming into the. I mean, it's, it's not even a question.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

But how many of those people you think that are coming in or would come in if we made it faster and more easy are going to be taking these high specialized tech jobs?

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, very few, but the point is that the point about they undercut the muscular class, which is the very people that pay the biggest burden for all these policies.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

You said that the high unemployment is in specialized, not in general unemployment.

[Charlie Kirk]

Correct.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

General unemployment is so low. Then why does it, like why are we worried about people coming in, taking the jobs of like.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, that's not the only reason why we're worried. We're worried because many of them are coming in illegally and it's. They're criminals, every single one of them. So they break our laws.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

I think you're proving my point here though.

[Charlie Kirk]

But no, you're just making one sliver of economics though. Numbers aside, how many of you guys have seen things get so expensive in the last year and a half? Okay, so that's just.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

I agree, but I think that's just. We have different reasons because I see

[Charlie Kirk]

that major company, why are prices going up?

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

I see major companies are owning different things, like cereal brands. There's like two companies that own all cereal brands. And when they can increase the prices continually and say, hey look guys, it's inflation when they're making record profits that they've never made.

[Charlie Kirk]

If that's the case, then why are small businesses raising their prices?

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Small businesses are raising their prices because the products that they're getting in from these major two, three companies are.

[Charlie Kirk]

Okay, so how does inflation work?

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Inflation works by having more money in the system and generally because of that, your dollar is worth less. And then your wages don't really increase. And because your wages don't increase, everything's costing more to you.

[Charlie Kirk]

So true or false, we have injected around $10 trillion of new money in the last three years?

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Absolutely.

[Charlie Kirk]

Okay, so yeah, that is the number one reason why we're. Prices increase.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Absolutely. But I think it's slow. The inflation itself has slowed down a lot. And the prices themselves depends on what

[Charlie Kirk]

good or service you're talking about.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

I agree. And I think the reason it's what good or service is because the goods or services that are in control of borderline monopolies are able to raise their prices more and more. That's why when you go to the grocery store, the big issue is a bunch of things are going up that are controlled by major companies that are supplying all these grocery stores, Right?

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah. But a lot of them have competitors. And so, I mean I could, I can list five or six examples where there's robust competition and prices are still going, going up. But we have too many dollars to chasing too many, too few goods and services. That's the big problem.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Our worker base isn't really churning as it should because we have such low unemployment. Which is why I'm saying immigration should be easier to come in because when your workers aren't moving through positions and stuff, wages aren't going to increase that often because you're more likely to get a wage increase by switching to another job that pays you more.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah. So wouldn't it make. If you want to get wages up, shouldn't you want to restrict the amount of workers in the workforce? I mean, it's pretty. So if you have 200 people you could hire to fix a window or 30 people to hire to fix a window, which pool is going to have the higher average wage?

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

I think the, I think the smaller pool would.

[Charlie Kirk]

Okay, we agree.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

The issue is a lot of people right now aren't wanting to go switch to other jobs all the time. And when you get more people and more jobs, you're likely to have more churn through there.

[Charlie Kirk]

Okay. Yeah, I don't think we disagree on that.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Okay, cool. So that's, that's why I'm saying like.

[Charlie Kirk]

But you don't have me convinced on the immigration issue though.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Okay.

[Charlie Kirk]

Because if you restrict immigration across the board, then you have a, you have a prioritization and a lesser pool of competition for foreign born American labor.

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

Sure. But I think. Am I wrong in saying your issue is that you have issues with specialized labor coming in and taking the positions of higher paying more special.

[Charlie Kirk]

I mean, to be fair, it's, it's specialized muscular class labor which is conflated. So there's, there's advanced manufacturing too, which does not require a college degree but could take six to nine months of apprenticeship. Or for example, being an auto mechanic, that's not exactly being a coder, but that's tough work. Right. Or you know, even more simply, I

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

just don't think that that's the majority of labor that is going to come in if we allow more people through. And it's not like a blanket. Oh, we're letting everybody through. But right now I see my biggest issue with the right is that like why are we restricting more immigration other than like illegal immigration? But why are we not proposing ways to loosen Immigration to fix that. The jobs that aren't like that, because there's like most jobs aren't generally in those classes.

[Charlie Kirk]

You're coming after this in good faith. My, my response would be we need a national training program to get American properly trained before we try to import foreign labor to fill those positions. And that goes back to my college as a scam type postulization. So we have oversupplied the credentialing which is for your college degree and we've under supplied the 6 to 9 month specialization vector. And because that we have massive job openings. I want to get to the next question. Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Narrator/Promoter]

Charlie had an absolutely relentless passion for learning. I saw it up close and personal and every waking moment, every spare moment that he could. He had a book open, he had a podcast open, he had a Hillsdale online course open. He was always diving into new ideas, absorbing information, studying up and sharpening his skills. That's why I love Dr. Arne. At Hillsdale College, they shared a deep understanding that learning is the key to shaping your character, creating courage, and changing lives. Charlie never stopped learning, and neither should you. Through Hillsdale's online courses, he spent time studying the classics, the American founding, and the enduring truths of the Bible. Now it is your turn. With Hillsdale's free online courses, you can follow in his footsteps, learning from real professors and challenging yourself with rigorous coursework that's free and accessible to anybody who's willing to learn. A great place to start is their brand new course on logic and rhetoric. Learn from Hillsdale professors how to speak masterfully, make a powerful point, and see how clear thinking leads to better decision making and more effective speech. Don't wait. Go to charlieforhillsdale.com to enroll today. It's completely free. This is a real good one, by the way. Logic and rhetoric. Pick up the mic, carry it forward. Learn like Charlie. Start right [e-mail]

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

so I just had a question because you talk a lot about like protecting and securing our southern borders, but as the granddaughter of immigrants, I think that we get into a lot of complicated disputes with the idea that immigrants are criminals, are drug dealers and things like that. So I just want to hear what your opinion is on those expectations or those, what do you call it, those stereotypes that are put on Hispanic communities, Latino communities, and how they change the way people perceive immigration.

[Charlie Kirk]

Sure. So thank you for the question. So you said you're the first generation student or first generation American?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

I'm a first generation student.

[Charlie Kirk]

Cool. Great. Second generation American. Did I hear that right?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Third generation American on my mom's side.

[Charlie Kirk]

Great.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Second on my dad's.

[Charlie Kirk]

When your. Your grandparents then. Is that right? Came to this country, did they do so through the. The legal process that was involved?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

So my father got married to my mother, so he's a legal resident of the United States state. She's been here her entire life.

[Charlie Kirk]

But did she. Did she enter my.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Great. She did. She's. She's born here. Yeah. Got it. My grandpa on my dad's side entered in illegally.

[Charlie Kirk]

Okay. So I'm not here to, like, insult your grandpa. Right. But. Yeah, but we must be very clear that the type of immigration that we support is when you follow our rules and you come on our terms and that you do not break into a country uninvited and you try to cut.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Can I add something to that? The reason why he left and a lot of people in Mexico do, is because of the political state. Especially in the 70s and 80s when they decided to move, they have a government that isn't supportive of their constituents and because of drug problems, their only choice was to move.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, I totally sympathize. That's not true. It's never the only choice to commit a crime, and we should not put up with it. And so it is a. It is an insult to other immigrants from Vietnam and Laos and Pakistan that have to wait decades in line to morally equivalent people that come in and just break in. Oh, I have an unstable country. Like half of the world's countries are unstable. So look, we just have to be very clear with this, is that if you come into the country uninvited, you have committed a crime and you are a criminal, and we could decide that we're not going to enforce our laws, or we can say that when you are a criminal, you should then be punished for that crime, AKA sent back to your country of origin because you were not invited. And it is an insult again, to the Poles and to the Czechoslovakians and from the Senegalese and people all across the world that don't have the proximity to luxury just to waltz into America.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

You call it a luxury to leave a country that has political tyranny and come into a country with opportunity.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes. To live in Mexico, to be able to go through, you know, 100 miles north and break into America. Do you know how many people in Pakistan would kill to be on that border?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

That's why we bring them in.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, we shouldn't. Right? That's the point. And secondly, do you. Do you think that you have A right to immigrate to America.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

I think that I didn't have a choice. My grandparents made that decision.

[Charlie Kirk]

I'm not trying to attack your grandparents, but no one has a right to go to anybody else's country. You are invited. It is a privilege, not a right to come into America.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

So it's a privilege to live a life that requires you to have clean water, clean food, clean air?

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes, of course it is.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

And you have to fight for that.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes. It is not.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

But we didn't.

[Charlie Kirk]

Hold on a sec.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Born here. We didn't fight for that.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, my ancestors did fight for that, actually. And I'm a very thankful recipient of many generations of Americans that fought for the greatest nation ever to.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Doing what? Coming here illegally.

[Charlie Kirk]

What? Wait, what did my ancestors do? They came here, they came over here in 1620, fought in the Revolutionary War, fought in the Civil War, fought in World War I.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

So because my grandpa didn't come here in 1620, it gives him no right to have a good life.

[Charlie Kirk]

He can fill out paperwork and wait in line like the rest of the world, and then we can see. We can see whether or not it's in our best interest to allow him to come in. And so we have to weigh costs and benefits. Do you think that the American government should first have a obligation to citizens before foreigners?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Okay, I think we have.

[Charlie Kirk]

Answer the question.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Here's the thing. Yeah, we're obligated because we're citizens to have the rights that we have. But that doesn't mean we can't open up our order.

[Charlie Kirk]

That's not the question. Hold on a second. You being a younger American and everyone in the audience is the first generation in American history to have it be worse off than your parents. So the social. You agree with that social contract, poorer, more expensive. So wouldn't it be rational for the American government to say we're going to prioritize younger generation Americans that are American passport holders and citizens before those in another nation?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

I don't think. I don't. I don't want to say anything that offends people, but.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, go ahead.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

I've already said it. Whatever. I think that the way we're going about it is wrong and that if we don't have a clear path to citizenship, we won't open up those opportunities for people to come and seek a good life. But I also think that, yeah, we are required to have those rights ourselves.

[Charlie Kirk]

Seeking a good life is fine. It's a nice added benefit. Our government does not exist to improve the life of Foreign citizens, a government

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

should be open to the idea of accepting.

[Charlie Kirk]

Of course we are. If we have our own house in order. We are in chaos right now. We have the most depressed, suicidal, anxious generation history. Our birth rate is collapsing. Kids can't afford homes. You guys are drowning in debt. You have to compete against jobs. You have to compete for jobs against foreigners. Our country is a mess right now. And so when your country's a mess and your home is in disarray, in bedlam, your own government should say, time out. I have a heart for the people of Haiti. I have a heart for the people of every country. But you're not coming here until this generation at least has it as good as their parents. And that is a very simple moral statement. If when you bring people in, they make the life worse for the people that were already here, should we stop letting those people in?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Do they, though?

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes, they do. Illegals every day are doing DUIs, and kids are dying across the country.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

But if Americans are doing this, it's fine.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, it's not fine. They should go to jail. But this is. This is the red herring is that Americans are invited guests. Foreigners are people that broke into the country that shouldn't be here. And none of those crimes should be happening at all. One of them is a crime of choice. The other is just a crime, because that's part of what happens when you have a society. So when you have Americans that are murdered by illegals, that is because we have decided and chosen. We're okay with them being here. And if they kill our people, no big deal.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

That's. I'm just trying to. I know we're not going to agree.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, it's fine.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

I knew.

[Charlie Kirk]

Are you okay with deporting every illegal person that's here?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

No.

[Charlie Kirk]

Why?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Because there are some people here that are not represented well by the media. There is a lot of illegal immigrants here that are working their butts off for the life.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, I don't care if they're working hard. But the point is, what should the punishment be for breaking into a country?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Depends on the crime you commit after you break into it.

[Charlie Kirk]

Okay, that's it. I'm talking about just. The crime is breaking in. What should the punishment be? I break into somebody's home. What should their punishment be?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Do you. Can you repeat that?

[Charlie Kirk]

Oh, so if you behave after you get here, that's fine. So to play that out, if someone comes into your dorm room uninvited and they do the dishes and laundry, they can stay.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

If I'm not gonna do my own dishes?

[Charlie Kirk]

Heck, yeah.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

They're doing my dishes for me. Cool. If they don't kill me, I'm not dead. It is what it is, man.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, they are killing a lot of Americans.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

But you say they like they are.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Like they all illegal immigrants kill people.

[Charlie Kirk]

Many illegals do, actually. But it's just interesting. The punishment for the crime of breaking into a nation should be what it is in Switzerland and Israel and Hungary. Every person who breaks into a nation uninvited goes back to their country of origin, period.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

So why is there an emphasis on the southern border?

[Charlie Kirk]

Because most people come illegally through the southern border.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

The point I'm trying to make is that we categorize all illegal immigrants under the same thing. Sex traffickers, drug dealers. Am I doing you saying all illegal immigrants have to be deported? You're implying that all.

[Charlie Kirk]

I'm not implying are doing these terrible

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

things and not a small percentage of them.

[Charlie Kirk]

If you come into a country uninvited, definitionally, you are a criminal.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

We're just not going to agree.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's fine then. Final question. What is a criminal?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

What is a criminal?

[Charlie Kirk]

No, what is it? Would you agree with the definition that a criminal is someone who breaks the law?

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Here's why I'm thinking. Here's the thing. I don't. I know how he's gonna turn it, and I don't believe.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's not a matter of turning it. It's a very ABC sequence. If they're not criminals, then tell me what a criminal is. And a criminal is obviously someone who breaks the law. Someone who comes across the southern border broke federal law, therefore they are a criminal.

[First Generation Student/Immigrant Advocate]

Okay, then we can just disagree.

[Charlie Kirk]

For more on many of these stories

[Economics/Policy Analyst]

and news you can Trust, go to charliekirk.com.