Protestors repeatedly interrupted Joe Biden and other politicians during the Democratic primaries in Detroit on Wednesday. Some of them were shouting "three million deportations" at the former vice president, referring to the approximate number of illegal aliens deported during the presidency of Barack Obama.
"If you say you can just cross the border, what do you say to all of those people around the world who want the same thing — to come to the United States and make their case — that they have to wait in line.... if you cross the border illegally, you should be able to be sent back. It's a crime", Biden stressed at the event.
At the same time, separate groups of protestors also interrupted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, halting the debate. According to reports, Detroit police removed at least five demonstrators from the site.
De Blasio also pointed out that 800,000 immigrants had been deported during the first two years of Obama's administration, which is more than during the first two years of the Trump presidency.
"To compare [Obama] to Donald Trump, I think is absolutely bizarre", Biden countered.
Many Democrats are seeking to decriminalise illegal immigration, while the country is facing a wave of people coming to the US without documents. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in February to tackle the crisis, secure the border and get funding for a wall between the US and Mexico.