Charles Barkley Labels ICE Treatment of Immigrants a ‘Disgrace’

NBA legend Charles Barkley has generally voiced his opinion when he felt something wrong was happening in the country.

Charles Barkley Labels ICE Treatment of Immigrants a ‘Disgrace’

NBA legend Charles Barkley (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Charles Barkley criticized the treatment of immigrants in the U.S., calling it a "travesty and a disgrace."
  • He emphasized the importance of respecting and admiring immigrants for their contributions to the country.
  • Barkley shared a personal story about UConn star Alex Karaban to highlight the positive impact of immigrant narratives.

Over the six decades Charles Barkley has been on this earth, he has seen his country grow and change over the course of that period.

He has seen it become the epitome of technological advancements, and has also been a part of the change in both the sports world and in how America has been a beacon of hope for anyone who came to the West.

At the same time, he has also been critical of how the country has been in the past decade. While on CBS to discuss the UConn-Duke Elite Eight game, the Round Mound of Rebound said this:

The way some of these other immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace… 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.

Charles Barkley said

The Hall of Famer looked troubled when he talked about the subject, as he reiterated that it is a touchy subject currently in the country with how ICE has been handling immigrants across the nation.

Charles Barkley pointed out that the treatment of immigrants has been unfair, although he struggled to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. Moreover, he also didn’t give specific examples of which section of legal immigrants were discriminated against.

Unlike how he has been in the past, the former Phoenix Suns great did not specifically call out anyone from the current administration. However, he stressed that it was disheartening to see how the country has changed.

Charles Barkley had praise for UConn stars’ remarkable journey

Usually, Charles Barkley does not lean into political commentary unless something has happened. In this instance, the Inside the NBA analyst was referring to the story of UConn star Alex Karaban.

UConn head coach Dan Hurley and Alex Karaban
UConn head coach Dan Hurley and Alex Karaban (Image via Hoop Herald/X)

His emotional analogy came after CBS aired a feature segment on the Huskies forward whose parents came to the United States from Eastern Europe.

I love that kid and his family… That’s a great immigrant story, and we have a lot of great immigrant stories out there.

Charles Barkley said

The 63-year-old was referring to how Karaban, who has been with the Huskies since 2021, has helped his family overcome their struggles in war-torn Eastern Europe, to now, when he has become a UConn great.

The 23-year-old team captain has won two championships and was a sounding board for head coach Dan Hurley when the latter was offered the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coaching job.

Charles Barkley believes that if the Huskie of Honor enrollee can impact life at the University, so do many immigrants, just like the 6’8″ forward.

Charles Barkley signs off segment with a major statement

While talking about Alex Karaban and other immigrants in the country, Charles Barkley finished off the conversation with his CBS colleagues with this message.

Immigrants built this country, and we should admire them and respect them.

Charles Barkley said

This is coming from someone who once called out Republican nominee Nikki Haley for her seemingly ignorant comment about racism in the country.

It seems the Alabama native wants to bring a similar discourse where those listening to him at least are aware of what is happening in the country.

Charles Barkley believes that just as racism has been prevalent in this country, so have the contributions of immigrants, who he believes have helped build America into the most powerful country in the world.

Later in the UConn-Duke Elite Eight game, Alex Karaban seemingly helped Chuck make his point when he decided not to shoot and passed the ball to Braylon Mullins, who scored the game-winner with 0.4 seconds left on the clock.

If the Huskies go on to win their third championship in four years, the immigrant’s impact in this run will cement his status as a UConn legend.

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