Co-host Sunny Hostin stirred controversy on The View Monday by claiming it’s not illegal to be undocumented in the U.S. The comment came during a heated debate over President Trump’s decision to send the National Guard into Los Angeles to quell immigration-related riots.
The discussion began with co-host Sara Haines pointing out the public’s support for deportation efforts. “Sixty percent of the American public, two-thirds of independents, 90% of Republicans and just a little under half of Democrats think the crime is in being undocumented,” Haines said. “What I'm saying is, a massive amount of this country actually agrees with, not how he's doing it, but what he's doing.”
Hostin immediately jumped in to dispute what she called “misinformation.” “There's misinformation out there,” she said. “Let's axe that right now, because it is not illegal to be undocumented. It is not a crime to be undocumented. People are not illegal.” She doubled down: “We need to put that information out there. It is a civil infraction.”
But not everyone at the table agreed. Alyssa Farah Griffin pushed back, citing public understanding. “I think that 60% of Americans believe it’s a civil offense and that if you come here, and you’re undocumented, that you should be deported,” she said. Haines added that more Americans support deportation than many realize.
The debate mirrored growing national tensions. Governor Gavin Newsom also slammed Trump’s deployment of troops. “I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command,” Newsom posted on X. “We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty – inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed.”
Recent polling supports the idea that deportation has broad backing. A late-May Pew Research Center poll found 32% of U.S. adults believe all illegal immigrants should be deported. Another 16% said none should be deported.
Roughly half of respondents supported deporting at least some illegal immigrants. However, opinions were divided on the criteria that should trigger deportation. The issue remains deeply divisive—both in Washington and in households across America.