Tucker Carlson falsely suggested Puerto Ricans living in Texas are immigrants to U.S.

On MSNBC's Tucker, host Tucker Carlson said to guest Jesse Diaz, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, “you may be counting Hispanic immigrants from Puerto Rico,” after Diaz said that “only 55 percent of illegals are of Mexican descent.” However, all native Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.


On the July 10 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, host Tucker Carlson said to guest Jesse Diaz, Dallas chapter president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, “you may be counting Hispanic immigrants from Puerto Rico,” after Diaz said that “only 55 percent of illegals are of Mexican descent,” even though all native Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. During a discussion about illegal immigrant women giving birth at a Dallas hospital, Diaz challenged Carlson's assertion that the United States should “bill Mexico” for services used by illegal immigrants, by pointing out that illegal immigrants come from countries other than Mexico. In response, Carlson recited census data indicating that less than 2 percent of Hispanics living in Dallas are of Puerto Rican or Cuban descent. However, that statistic is irrelevant to the discussion of illegal immigrants -- or “immigrants” at all in the context of Puerto Rico: The Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917 granted U.S. citizenship to all residents of Puerto Rico. In addition, almost all Cubans who reach U.S. shores are automatically granted asylum, so few, if any, would be here illegally.

From the July 10 edition of MSNBC's Tucker:

CARLSON: We know for a fact that the vast majority of women, for instance, who give birth at Parkland Hospital are foreigners. They're not here -- they're not American citizens, and most of them are illegal. There are about 11,000 babies born to immigrant mothers at Parkland every year. We got those numbers from the CEO of the hospital, whom we called today, and he says he is certain of those numbers. So, look, we know it's happening. We know it's happening in huge numbers. The evidence is there, and you know it too. Why not bill Mexico? It's an obvious question. What's the answer?

DIAZ: I agree, but not just Mexico. If we're going to bill somebody, let's bill all of the countries, but I think what's important for your audience to know is only 55 percent of the illegals are of Mexican descent. We never talked about the other 45 percent.

CARLSON: Not in Dallas, Texas. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on. Not in Dallas, Texas.

DIAZ: OK.

CARLSON: Those may be -- nationally those stats may be correct. You may have -- you may be counting Hispanic immigrants from Puerto Rico or Cuba, but those two countries make up less than 1 percent of the Hispanic immigrants in Dallas, Texas. It's overwhelmingly for Mexico, and the rest are overwhelmingly from Central America, who cross the border over from Mexico. In other words, they're all coming from the country of Mexico, which wants them to come here because it benefits. So, this we know, and this you know, too. So, let's get real.

DIAZ: OK.