Charles Barkley’s comments on the treatment of immigrants have sparked widespread reaction after going viral. His remarks, made during a CBS broadcast during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, have garnered millions of views and comments.
Barkley’s Comments on CBS
Barkley’s description of the treatment of immigrants as a “travesty and a disgrace” on March 29 has resonated across the political spectrum. The NBA Hall of Famer’s comments drew widespread backlash from right-wing commentators and widespread support from left-wing commentators.
The comments followed a CBS segment on University of Connecticut men’s basketball player Alex Karaban. Karaban’s parents immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe in the late 1990s, and Karaban was born in the United States.
Barkley called it a “great immigrant story” but then broadened his focus. He said, “I want to be very careful with my words right now. Cause this is a really touchy subject for me. I love that kid (Karaban) 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.”
Barkley added, “I think there is 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.”
Key Points From Barkley’s Statement
- Barkley called the current treatment of immigrants “really unfortunate” and “really unfair.”
- He stated that “Immigrants built this country, and we should admire them and respect them.”
- Barkley never mentioned President Donald Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or any particular names of officials or departments from the Trump administration.
Barkley’s Political Background
Barkley has been a registered Arizona Democrat for years. Records show he voted in the 2020 presidential election, but not in the contested Democratic presidential primary that year or the state’s separate primary.
In 2006, Barkley said he intended to run for governor of his home state of Alabama as a Democrat. The decade before, in 1994, he said he was going to run for the same office as a Republican.
In a February 2024 interview on The Stephen A. Smith Show, Barkley said “both parties are full of (expletive).”
Context of the Remarks
Barkley spoke the day after the nationwide No Kings protests. These protests followed after two people were killed by ICE officers in Minneapolis and after 14 ICE detainees have died in 2026.
During the interview, Barkley expressed frustration over a February 2024 case in New York City in which a group of migrants allegedly attacked a New York police officer and one of the migrants was released after he posted bail. After he posted bail, Darwin Gomez-Izquiel was arrested and accused of assisting in the robbery of a Macy’s store in New York, according to local reporting citing court doc.
Barkley, who is still an Arizona resident has waded into politics throughout his public life.
In 2025, 264 international student-athletes competed in March Madness, making up 15% of all athletes who competed in the tournament, according to the NCAA.