Fox host says most parents don’t want migrant children at their kids’ schools

Jesse Watters: ‘You ask any parent … do you want these people sitting next to your student’

Fox News host Jesse Watters on Tuesday sparked a backlash for saying most American parents don’t want migrant children at their kids’ schools, claiming without evidence that they slow down the learning process.

His comments came during the Fox News show “The Five” on Tuesday during a discussion triggered by news reports that teachers in San Diego, California are being asked to teach migrant children in-person during their spring break while American students in the area are learning through virtual classrooms right now.

From 12 April, American students in San Diego are expected to begin a hybrid model of in-person and virtual classrooms.

During the programme – where five hosts discuss current affairs - Watters complained that migrant children would be in classrooms.

“You ask any parent… do you want these people sitting next to your student as a sophomore… indebted to the cartels trying to work out somehow wiring money back home… Don’t speak any English… sexually traumatised, emotionally traumatised and physically traumatised, dragging down and slowing down the curriculum?” he said.

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“Of course not. I feel terrible for these migrants but I also feel terrible for American students,” said Watters, claiming Joe Biden had lost control of immigration policy. “American parents were never given a choice. This was imposed on them.”

Watters’ comments were countered by co-host of the show Juan Williams, who noted that most schools offer classes in English as a second language.

It was followed by the duo entering into an argument with Watters saying he understands but “they (migrant children) have no formal education … don’t have any English skills” to which Williams replied: “You don’t know that.”

The controversy also made its way to the press briefing by the White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday, who was asked about the issue.

“You know our objective from the White House —opening up five days a week, a majority of schools across the country. And they're on spring break right now,” she said.