Caitlin Bennett interviews Lakeland Farmers Market attendees regarding undocumented voting rights, highlighting a clash between arguments for immigrant contributions and the stance that illegal entry constitutes a federal misdemeanor. Participants debate the $150 to $300 billion taxpayer cost versus $37 billion in contributions, while discussing the SAVE Act's citizenship requirements and California's census representation issues. The segment concludes by exposing deep divisions on whether residency duration or strict legal adherence should determine eligibility, ultimately questioning if non-citizens truly deserve a voice in American elections. [Automatically generated summary]
Transcriber: CohereLabs/cohere-transcribe-03-2026, sat-12l-sm, and large-v3-turbo
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Voting Rights for Undocumented Immigrants00:10:49
Should illegal aliens be allowed to have their voices heard in American elections and cast a vote?
Sure.
Yes?
Yeah.
So is voting a right?
It is a right.
Okay.
And we should extend that right to non citizens.
Yes.
Why do you think if they're undocumented, they're not citizens, they should have the right to vote?
I feel like people are people and they deserve to have a say no matter what.
I'm the daughter of an illegal immigrant and a woman who is legal here.
Immigrants built this country as well as illegal aliens and they do a lot for this country.
If I went, To Guatemala.
Yeah.
Do you think I should be able to vote in their elections and determine their laws and their politicians?
I feel like it's a different scenario.
We're here at the Lakeland Farmers Market once again, and my support your local ice rates t shirt that you can get at lhmerch.com.
You help support my work and you get a super cool t shirt win win.
We're asking people today, specifically liberals, if they think illegal aliens should be allowed to vote in our elections.
Just stay tuned, stay with me, roll the My husband's a fan of yours.
Yes, yes, yes.
Is this him?
No, that's my brother.
No.
Oh, brother.
Brother, are you a fan too?
No.
No?
No.
Are you a fan of Donald Trump then?
No.
No?
No.
We're asking people today if they think there's any circumstance in which someone who is illegal or undocumented should be able to vote.
I believe so.
If they're here in the United States themselves, I believe everyone should have that right regardless.
Even if they're not citizens.
Correct.
Okay.
Why do you believe that?
It is a right.
It's something that was given to the people within our Constitution.
So, why not?
What people, though?
The Americans, but like if they're coming to the country, so.
I don't really.
But if they're here illegally, they're not Americans, right?
Correct.
Okay, but they should be able to vote.
Yeah, because regardless, they're still making up this country.
They're still working.
They are giving back to the community, whether it's.
Legally or illegally, it's just something that should be at least considered or looked at.
Should illegal aliens be allowed to have their voices heard in American elections and cast a vote?
Hmm.
I'm really not sure about that.
Okay.
Pass.
We'll come back.
Sure.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
Why so?
Uh, well, I think illegal aliens, I like, you're talking about immigrants, right?
Illegal aliens.
Yeah, illegal aliens.
Well, um, immigrants built this country as well as illegal aliens and they do a lot for this country.
Like they pay a lot in taxes.
They, um, they're a big member of societies like that.
So I feel like they should be able to have their voices heard on certain topics.
Okay.
What do you said?
Should undocumented immigrants have a voice in our elections here in America?
Yeah, of course.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Why do you think if they're undocumented, they're not citizens, they should have the right to vote?
I feel like people are people and they deserve to have a say no matter what.
Okay.
Yeah.
If I went to Guatemala.
Yeah.
Do you think I should be able to vote in their elections and determine their laws and their politicians?
Yeah, if you live there.
But I'm not a citizen there.
I feel like, I feel like it's a different scenario with like here in America.
I feel like there's a lot of more stuff that needs to be governed, a lot more thought that should be put into it that others don't think about because it was founded by people who weren't here first.
So I think like the people who were here first should have a say too.
I don't think someone from Guatemala was here first and should be able to vote in our elections.
I think indigenous people, like I think all the people who are immigrants and undocumented, they have it in their blood.
So they should be able to vote.
How does someone from Brazil or Spain or, um, You know, Australia, how do they have it in their blood that they are automatically citizens and can vote in our elections?
I don't know.
I feel like the best.
Okay.
But Americans shouldn't go over to their countries and do it to them.
Nah.
You think there's any circumstance in which an illegal alien should be able to vote?
Well, I guess if they're here for the right reason and doing the right thing here, that would be okay.
Okay.
And what would be your litmus test to figure out if an illegal alien was here for the right reasons to give?
Them that ability to vote?
Well, they're not getting in trouble and getting arrested and doing bad things.
Okay.
How do we not know if they were doing bad things in the country they came from?
I don't know.
But they should be able to potentially vote in our elections.
Everybody should have a chance to be an American.
Okay.
But should they be able to vote before they're an American?
Not sure.
I'm so excited.
Okay.
All right.
Well, this is Caitlin Bennett.
Oh, hi, Caitlin.
Yes, hi.
You can go to patreon.comslash Caitlin Bennett to support my work.
You're giving me a double chin.
Raise your camera up a little bit.
All right.
Even $5 a month helps support my security fund.
As you saw, there were tons of people who were.
Mad about me being here today.
So, yeah.
Anyway, well, you should stay.
You should stick around because I talk to you.
I let you get a fun video.
You should stick around.
Yeah, I don't really like to.
I don't know.
I don't really want to talk.
It's okay.
You can talk.
Ask me whatever.
Okay.
Thank you for that.
Hit me with it.
Okay.
All right.
We're asking people today if they think undocumented immigrants deserve to have their voices heard and cast a vote in their communities and elections here in America.
Well, that's a tricky question.
I mean, as a human, yeah, I think everyone, just because you're in a country that you weren't born in doesn't mean that you should automatically, like, just shut the hell out.
Am I allowed to curse?
By the way, look at her shirt.
Support your local ICE.
What does that say?
ICE raid.
Yes.
You can get this at lhmarch.com.
I think everyone deserves a voice.
Okay.
Even if they're illegal aliens in our country.
Yeah.
I was just asking people if they think undocumented immigrants should be able to have their voices heard in our elections here in America.
What do you think?
I think so.
Yes.
You think so?
Yeah.
Okay.
Why do you think that?
Why do you think undocumented immigrants should be able to vote?
Because it's a free country.
Okay.
Yeah.
Okay.
So is voting a right?
It is a right.
Okay.
And we should extend that right to non-citizens?
Yes.
Okay.
Do you think that we could go to Mexico or Guatemala and start voting in their elections and determining their, their country?
Um, maybe not.
Maybe what?
Maybe not.
Maybe not.
But they can come to ours and vote in ours.
When you put it that way, yeah, probably not.
Okay.
So what, what did I say the first time that made you support illegal aliens voting in American elections?
Because when I think of America, I think of it as a melting pot.
Right.
But we are a nation of laws.
And I think that voting should come with restrictions.
Right.
Which include only citizens that live here legally should be voting.
Would you agree?
Yeah.
Okay.
All right.
Well, all right.
We came full circle.
I changed someone's mind today.
So thank you for that opportunity.
It's just your opinion.
Do you think they should be able to have their voices heard in that way?
I think that, I think that, honestly, voices of the general population and the people who are working for both blue collar and white collar jobs, which I'm a white collar job right now.
I got my degree.
I, I'm, I'm the daughter of an illegal immigrant and a woman who is legal here.
Yes, yes.
And actually.
Oh, you're the daughter of an illegal alien?
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay.
What's your name?
Actually, I don't think you have the rights to that.
I work for the government right now as well.
Oh, yeah.
Where do you work?
Opt and Serve.
Okay.
I'm a government contractor.
Okay.
Okay.
All right.
And there's someone who has committed a crime that you know of in this country illegally.
Actually, no, I don't know that.
Last time I had word of him, four years ago, no?
When I was four years old.
Okay.
All right.
Well, who knows?
At this point, he could have been deported by this time, right?
Do you think he should have been able to vote in elections here in America being illegal?
I think that the general voice should be heard.
Even illegal aliens.
They are part of the population.
They do, and they do actually.
They are part of the population.
You just said that they are considered in the census.
Yes.
They're part of the community.
They also contribute to taxes overall.
That's silly, right?
That's a little silly.
Nah.
No?
Nah.
All right, change my mind.
Convince me that I should walk away from here and I should think illegal aliens, no matter where they're from, Crossing the border illegally, committing a crime, should be allowed to vote.
Convince me of that.
That's hard.
It's like talking to a brick wall.
No, I'm asking you, change my mind.
I don't really want to because I feel like other people have their opinions and I feel like I have my own too.
Yeah, I would love to have mine changed.
Um, I would like to have mine stay the same and I would like to have everybody enjoy everybody and everybody connect.
I feel like peace positivity is like the way to go.
And illegal aliens voting.
Of course.
I think that the world is crazy.
And I think that if you are in this country, whether it's legally, sorry, this is blinding you legally or illegally, I think that you should, there is a process to it.
And we all know that it's not an easy process, regardless of what people say, but I think if you're here illegally, but you're being productive to society, you're, you know, we, I think we could all agree.
Everybody knows somebody here that is not here legally.
I do not know a single person.
You don't?
Unless they haven't told me.
Yeah.
That's fair.
That's fair.
I guess we could say you could assume that there are those around.
Well, if you've been to Home Depot, you probably have seen a couple of them that, that are here illegally.
That's fair.
I do think that if you're being a productive member of society, would you want to give them a fair shot?
That, that would be my question before I answer yours.
If you, if you've been here for 10 years illegally, right?
You're being productive, you're paying taxes, for example, right?
I know that I'm sure there's people that do that.
I don't know.
Can't say for sure.
Most of the time, if they're not issued a social security number, they actually commit identity theft.
Fair.
Taxpayers Deserve a Say in Elections00:05:34
And they use someone else's social security number to get benefits and then paying to the system to try and keep their profile low.
That's fair.
Do you think it's okay when Americans go in other countries and they meddle in their regimes or regime change or their laws in their country?
Do you think that's okay for Americans to do?
As long as they're doing it ethically or even correctly, it could be seen as okay, but if not, then no.
Okay.
The reason I ask you this is because if someone's here illegally, they are not an American citizen.
They do not have the right to vote.
And I keep hearing that Democrats are opposing the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in our elections, and Democrats will not support it.
And so you're the first person I asked.
I'm actually not even expecting him to say this, I'll be honest.
I'm actually very shocked that I found one that was willing to say this out loud.
Where are you from?
Like, where's your ethnicity?
Where's your origin?
I originated here in America, in Ohio.
Really?
Yeah.
What about your family, like your lineage?
Well, we've been here since the 1700s.
If not a couple generations beforehand, we're also here in America.
Yeah, we helped kind of settle.
Are you Native Americans?
Oh, I am kind of Native, yeah.
Are you Native American?
Yep, I'm Native to America.
Okay, okay, cool.
I think that you can belong here and we can all belong here and we can have different beliefs.
Yeah, I didn't say anything differently.
Do you think that we should be able to go into a country that we aren't citizens of and vote in their elections?
I think if you become a legal citizen and that, like if I go to another country, I feel like.
Yeah.
You do?
Yeah.
Okay.
How is that fair?
I don't know if it's necessarily fair.
I think just on a human standpoint, it's like if you decide to live there, make money, and pay and support the local economy, then yeah, you should be able to have some type of voice if you decide to live there.
You know what I mean?
But I understand that there's a process.
No, I don't think you should break the law.
I think you should do everything.
But illegal aliens did break the law to come over.
So, why should someone who broke our laws to come into our country be afforded the right to cast a vote about our communities and our elections?
That's true.
And it's a slippery slope because obviously some people try to just come here to find a better life and they're trying to do things the right way.
And a lot of people do do things the right way, but just out of desperation, some people just, they just, you know.
What we really need to do is speed up the process so that they can become citizens faster.
And vote that way.
Okay.
So, no voting before you're an American citizen?
No, that's not what she's saying.
She's saying get them, make the priority be getting them citizenship if that's what they want.
Right.
But no voting beforehand.
There are voting that they are allowed to do already, so I wouldn't eliminate that.
Okay.
So, we should maintain, if illegal aliens are voting in elections right now, we should maintain that?
Yes.
Okay.
Do you agree with that?
I'm silent.
Okay.
Okay.
Do you think that we should go over to Mexico and vote in their elections?
No.
Then why should people from Mexico be allowed to come over and vote in ours?
It might be different if I lived in Mexico.
But if you're not there legally, if you've broken laws.
Depends on what the election is for.
Okay.
So what elections.
Why did they leave in the first place?
You know?
Does that matter for American elections?
I think it does.
Okay.
And what elections do you think illegal aliens should be allowed to vote in?
The ones they're voting in right now.
What are those?
You'd have to probably look that up.
I don't know specifically.
I know that they're allowed to vote in like school type, local, civic type elections.
Okay.
So do you think a group of illegal immigrants who have relocated here to Lakeland.
I wonder why you're asking me this question.
Yeah.
And I'm just.
I mean, should we let people from Guatemala or Somalia come over to Lakeland and vote in our local elections?
I never said that, no.
It was a question.
No.
Okay.
Then, why are you okay with them voting in elections at all?
Because there are certain elections that don't affect our government, my life, your life, but it affects their life because their kids are in that school.
And if you're going to allow that, then they should have some say on those kinds of things.
They're criminals.
They came here illegally.
Oh, come on.
They're not criminals necessarily.
Yes, they are.
Oh, well, okay.
I mean, if they came over, if they broke a law to come over, aren't they criminals?
What is a criminal?
Let's define it.
What is a criminal?
They haven't necessarily broken a law if they have applied for citizenship and they've had to wait years and years and years to get approval for it.
Those are not criminals.
Those are people stuck in the system.
And they should be allowed to vote before they're citizens.
I don't think people actually know what the definition of criminal means, actually.
That's what I've gotten out of today.
Do you think people who aren't citizens should be allowed to vote in our elections?
That's a tough question.
Defining Criminals and Community Belonging00:03:27
It's like a 50 50.
It's like yes and no.
And what situations would you say yes, they should be allowed to?
I feel like since we're like at war, I feel like if the U.S. is like falling down and like there's like millions and millions of people dying here in the country, like we're getting under attack type shit, and like and we need to vote for some reason, then I guess that's when we all come together to vote.
Like there's like a, I don't know, like a weird scenario.
How about just on election day in November, should illegal aliens be allowed to go cast a vote for president?
I can't answer that.
I can't.
Because I wouldn't vote.
But do you think illegal aliens who committed a crime by coming here illegally should be able to cast a vote and pick the president?
I can't answer that.
How much in taxes?
Do you know the number?
Yes, I do.
You okay?
Can you tell me what the number is?
Do you know how much they cost the American taxpayer?
I'm just asking.
Do you know the number?
Yeah, so they cost anywhere between $150 to $300 billion every year.
And they contribute about $37 billion, so they are a net cost to the taxpayers.
Well, no, actually, I work with insurance.
They're not getting anything from Medicaid or Medicare.
I didn't even say that.
I was just talking about the numbers about tax dollars.
I didn't mention any organization.
They're not getting anything from the tax dollars.
Yes, they are.
They get housing, they do get Medicare, especially in California.
They do.
In California, they do.
They can apply for EBT.
Yes, some of them do.
They can obtain Social Security numbers and they can get this.
And there's other ways.
They have Social Security numbers and they can vote.
No, that's not how it works.
Then how does it work?
Illegal aliens can obtain and non citizens can obtain social security numbers, especially when they're here for work visas.
They can obtain them.
They're not legal citizens, but they're here on a visa.
And so they're not citizens, but they do have a social security number to work.
And when they overstay their visa, then they've now committed a crime and they're not supposed to be here.
But you guys think because they're part of the community, they should be able to vote?
Well, goddamn.
We would definitely give Texas and Florida less representatives in the House.
I'm down for that.
That'd be pretty good.
Yeah, that would be pretty good.
That would be pretty good.
Okay.
No, if we don't give them the allowance to vote, and they're not part of the consensus, that's less representatives for Florida and Texas.
You think, you think most people here in Florida are illegal aliens?
No, I never said that.
Because we've deported thousands of people just in the last year, so that wouldn't, that wouldn't matter to us.
But places like California, who include them in their census, yes, they have more representatives because of it.
Which is super unfair because they don't deserve any representation.
I shouldn't deserve representation, but you're saying that they don't deserve representation.
That means that we don't have as many representatives in Florida and Texas.
And that's fine.
That's fine.
So, in states like California, they do count their illegal aliens in the census.
Not every state does, but California does.
So, they get more representation based on people who are not citizens of this country, who you also think deserve the ability to vote in our elections.
Explain that to me why someone who is here illegally should determine our laws, our representation.
They don't determine the laws and the representation.
You just said that they're accounted for the consensus, which means that the people who hear.
Census Counts and Legal Status Channels00:09:16
Oh my goodness, I'm just using the words that you're saying.
No, no, no, I didn't say that.
You believe they deserve to have the ability to vote because they are part of the community.
You said that.
How is that fair if they're not citizens to have a say in our laws and in our.
I don't think they deserve the right to vote.
I'm saying that.
You did say that.
No, I said that they should be heard because they are part of the community.
Should I be allowed to go to Brazil or Guatemala?
And vote in their elections, just go over there and vote when they have elections.
I have nothing to do with that country.
I'm not from there.
I'm not a citizen.
Should I be able to?
Well, it depends.
Are you going there on vacation or are you living there for like 10 years?
I'm just going to go.
I'm going to hop their border and I'm going to go and cast a vote.
Should I be allowed to do that?
Well, if you're going there for a one time thing just to cast a vote, I don't think so.
But if you're going there to live there and like sustain family life for your family and have a better life and you live there for like 10 years, yeah, I think you should.
You know what I mean?
They try to finesse their way into a better life and sometimes they got to do some stuff that maybe isn't good.
He doesn't need you to pull him away.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So when you asked if I was a Native American, are you a Native American?
No.
Okay.
So why'd you ask me if I was not?
I just wanted to know.
I was curious.
Yeah.
Do I look like a Native American?
I mean, I guess, I don't know.
You, Native American doesn't have to look like anything.
Yeah.
That's what I was asking.
Are you native to here?
No.
No.
Okay.
I was born here.
Like, I'm a citizen, but just not native here.
Very interesting.
Very interesting.
You asked me all these questions.
I think it's important to have conversation.
I think it's important because it seems like there's a disagreement here.
And I see that you guys do support the local ice race.
I personally don't.
I personally think it's like, it's just, like I said, there's a slippery slope.
There's some people that truly believe in what they're doing in ice and they're trying to do the right thing.
And then there's some people that are fucking up.
You know what I mean?
They have that, like, there's a power trip for them.
They're not doing it for the reasons that you guys might believe.
So they're doing it just because they got the power to do something.
They want to fuck some people.
Yeah, that's everywhere, right?
There's everywhere.
There's managers of Bob Evans who feel that way as well.
That doesn't mean I don't support.
Ice raids and getting rid of illegal criminal aliens in our country.
That's true.
Absolutely.
I personally don't.
Personally.
You don't think we should get rid of illegal criminal aliens?
Because obviously I have personal ties to some people that are illegal aliens.
Friends.
Criminals?
Families.
Not criminals.
Well, ICE is targeting, and especially ICE raids, they're targeting criminal aliens.
People who are known gang members.
They have terrorist ties.
They are convicted and accused and charged with many crimes, even if in their home countries as well.
So that's what ICE raids are for.
ICE raids aren't going out and stopping people on the street.
That's not what's going on.
Although I do also support that.
So to make sure everyone's, you know.
That's the purpose.
That's the purpose.
I truly believe that some people believe that's the purpose.
You know what I mean?
And that's what it's supposed to be.
Should they be allowed to vote?
Being heard means that they should be able to be like, hey, well, maybe this would be beneficial for the community.
They're not voting on something.
They're saying.
Should they be allowed to vote?
I'm not going to answer that question.
Yes or no?
Should they be able to vote?
Why do you, what's your opinion on this?
No, they shouldn't be able to vote and they should be deported.
Interesting.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
So do you guys disagree with me?
Yeah, I do.
I think that there's, I think that there's proper channels for deportation and I think that we're not following those proper channels.
Okay.
So again, should they be allowed to vote in our elections if they are illegal aliens?
Trying to answer that.
Is the conundrum here that if you say no, you might be offending or looking down upon the immigrant community?
But if you say yes, that is totally insane to say that illegal aliens should vote in our elections.
Is that the conundrum you're having?
No.
No.
Okay, then why won't you answer?
I just don't want to argue with you anymore.
I really don't.
It's kind of exhausting, not going to lie, because we're not going to see eye to eye.
You agree with one thing, I think it's immoral.
It's a different moral high ground.
Is it moral for illegal aliens to vote in our elections?
That's.
You're saying it's a morality issue when we're just trying to say that.
No, you're saying it's a moral issue.
You're laughing, but these are the words that you're saying to me.
Is it moral?
Is it okay for someone who has broken the law to come into our country to vote in our elections?
Can you tell me how it's breaking the law?
Yeah, it's a misdemeanor.
It's a federal crime.
For what?
Did you know that?
Coming into the country illegally is a misdemeanor.
It's a federal crime.
Okay, and if they're going to the proper channels to gain legal status?
Well, then that's not a crime, is it?
You can come over here and claim asylum and refuge, but most of those cases get dismissed and thrown out and they get deported.
Do they deserve the right to vote before they are citizens?
But they're not voting.
They're just counted in the consensus.
What's your opinion?
I didn't get yours.
I can agree with him.
Okay, so illegal aliens should be allowed to vote.
After I set them on the sign, yeah.
And I feel like it should be easier for them to get immigration status, or well, citizenship, especially since it takes so long to get a citizenship for here.
And, like, yeah, say you come here for like a day and you try to vote.
I don't think that should be, you know.
Okay.
Yeah.
So, should we have any voter ID laws at all, or everyone should just be able to go up to a ballot box and cast a vote?
No ID, nothing, no laws pertaining to this.
Everyone, it's just a free for all.
No, I think there should be laws like.
One thing we could do is see how long you've been in the country based on where you've lived, how long you've had a job, what you have in your life, and just basically showing how long you've been in the country and how long you've lived there.
I think that's a good way to determine who should vote.
Why do you think it's okay if someone who just crosses the border, illegally broke our laws, committed a misdemeanor, a federal crime to come over here, should be allowed to determine our elections?
Not really sure at that point.
You should make a very valid point across.
What did you think I meant when I said illegal alien?
What I really meant, what I really thought was probably like someone who was either born here from someone who was illegal.
No.
No.
No, that's not what I said.
That's not what I meant.
But you probably support it anyway.
Right?
I'm not.
In politics, I don't really care for it.
I don't even vote, even though I am an American.
So you don't vote, but you think Jose from Mexico should come on over and vote, take your place in your voting.
It's just more, I try to stay out of politics altogether.
Okay.
I think that's probably for the best.
Yeah.
Yeah.
They think undocumented immigrants deserve to have their voices heard in our elections since they're here.
That's a loaded question.
It is.
I get it.
But it's a discussion going on online.
What, what do we do about illegal aliens voting?
Should they be allowed to vote?
Should they not be allowed to vote?
Should our laws change to include them to have their voices heard?
I mean, I feel like legally, no, because they don't have the documents to do it.
Yeah.
But, I mean, should their voices be heard?
Everyone's voice should be heard.
But legally as a voting, no.
No.
So you, you're okay with laws remaining the same.
No illegal aliens voting.
I guess so.
I don't agree with how they're being dealt with.
Sure.
I disagree with that and the cruelty around it.
Don't agree with that.
But, I mean, I get it.
Yeah.
So you don't support your local ice raid then?
No.
Ah, darn.
So you're not gonna get one of these shirts at lhwords.com?
No.
What if there was like a discount code or something?
No.
Like a 10% off discount code, raid, up on the screen right now.
Use that for 10% off.
I love that.
I'm on the screen.
Some first America, some America first, uh, your what?
I'm saying you're eating my, oh, I was like, what are you eating?
My blueberry muffin.
Well, it looks delicious.
Would you like a better one?
No, I'm good.
But thank you.
Appreciate it.
You're very kind and generous.
Should illegal aliens be allowed to vote in American elections?
Yes or no?
I'm not going to answer that.
Okay, guys.
The answer is no, but then you would have to go against the immigrant community.
The answer is not no and the answer is not yes.
Okay.
I think we're too focused on black and white answers.
Yeah, that's a no.
Oh, really?
Should illegal aliens be allowed to vote in our elections?