March 30, 2026
Barkley called the current treatment of immigrants in America a “travesty and a disgrace.”
Charles Barkley has had enough of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy and ICE raids, letting his feelings be known on CBS’ coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Following a feature on UConn star Alex Karaban and his family’s journey to the U.S. as immigrants from Ukraine and Belarus, Barkley widened the conversation to talk about other immigrants’ current plight in America.
Charles Barkley on CBS tonight:
“The way some of these immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace. What we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants is really unfortunate and really sad.”
Charles Barkley is not a politician. Not an… pic.twitter.com/RcmQwZpO1V
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) March 30, 2026
“I want to be very careful with my words right now. Because this is a really touchy subject for me,” Barkley said. “I love that kid and his family. But the way some of these other immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace.”
He noted that while Trump and his officials state that they are trying to crack down on those who commit harm, others have become collateral damage in ICE raids.
“I think there’s a difference between amazing immigrants and criminal immigrants, and I think what’s going on in our country, what we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants, is really unfortunate and it’s really sad,” he continued.
Although the star college basketball player’s family had a different experience, Barkley mentioned others’ fears for their futures in the country.
“That’s a great immigrant story… But some of the stuff happening to immigrants in our country right now is really unfortunate and is really unfair, but immigrants built this country, and we should admire them and respect them,” Barkley added.
Some, including sportswriters and actor Ben Stiller, praised Barkley for mentioning the elephant in the room when discussing immigrants in America.
As I always say, “Use your platform for a purpose fueled by your passions.” https://t.co/T6HoktTQpX
— Kelsey Nicole Nelson (KNN) (@therealknelson) March 30, 2026
“As I always say, ‘Use your platform for a purpose fueled by your passions.’” shared sports writer Kelsey Nicole Nelson.
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