A double Olympic champion and member of the American “Dream Team” criticized Donald Trump's immigration policy: “A travesty, a shame”
Article by David Istrate – Published Tuesday, 31 March 2026, 11:20 / Updated Tuesday, 31 March 2026 11:26
Charles Barkley (63 years old), double Olympic champion, NBA legend and famous journalist, criticized the way immigrants are treated in the United States of America, in a monologue held during a show made on the occasion of the final tournament of the NCAA basketball competition.
A member of the American “Dream Team”, 1993 NBA MVP and former player for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, Charles “Chuck” Barkley has become a famous, controversial journalist who does not shy away from speaking his mind.
Charles Barkley vehemently: “Immigrants are what built this country”
In the context of “March Madness”, as the month of March is nicknamed due to the spectacular games in the NCAA, Chuck took the opportunity to discuss UConn Huskies wing Alex Karaban, who comes from a Ukrainian-Belarusian familyto criticize the way immigrants are treated in the United States.
“I want to weigh my words. It's a very sensitive subject for me, I love this boy and his family,” Barkley, the CBS analyst, was quoted as saying by L'Equipe. “But the way some immigrants are treated in our country is a travesty and a disgrace,” he added.
“What we are doing to some of these extraordinary immigrants is truly unfortunate and deeply sad (…) There is a difference between exemplary immigrants and criminal immigrants. And this is a beautiful immigration story (not Karaban's). We have so many inspirational immigrant stories that deserve to be told. But some of the things currently happening to immigrants in our country are truly unfortunate and profoundly unfair. Immigrants are the ones who built this country, and we should admire and respect themBarkley concluded.
Over the years, President Donald Trump has campaigned on a policy of zero tolerance for immigrants. In fact, the officers of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been criticized for the abusive interventions they have had, being accused of killing innocent people.
