On the March 27 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh stated that Mexican immigrants who illegally enter the United States are “a renegade, potential[ly] criminal element” that is “unwilling to work.” Limbaugh made the remarks during a conversation with a caller about the recent Los Angeles protests against a federal immigration bill that would criminalize the provision of aid to undocumented immigrants and make it a felony to cross the border illegally. The bill itself contradicts Limbaugh's contention that illegal immigrants are “unwilling to work” as it prescribes stiff penalties for U.S. employers who hire them.

From the March 27 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: One of the puzzling things about this to me, since President Bush has been in office, is his -- you know, he had a very close relationship with [Mexican President] Vicente Fox, and I don't --

CALLER: Right.

LIMBAUGH: I don't -- I -- I think the opposite of what you suggest is actually what's been happening. But look at it from Vicente Fox's point of view. I mean if -- if you had a -- a -- a renegade, potential criminal element that was poor and unwilling to work, and you had a chance to get rid of 500,000 every year, would you do it?

CALLER: Right.

LIMBAUGH: Yeah.