On CNN, Tennessee Candidate Justin Pearson Declines to Back Any Deportations

Overview

• During a NewsNight panel Friday, CNN commentator Scott Jennings repeatedly pressed Pearson for a yes-or-no answer on deportations.
• Pearson refused to name a single undocumented person he would deport, steering his answers to broader reforms.
• He said ICE and Border Patrol should be abolished in their current form and replaced with agencies that, in his view, better serve public safety.
• Pearson framed his position around avoiding harm to citizens and undocumented people, referencing the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
• Jennings characterized the stance as a no-deportations position, and the exchange comes as Pearson runs against Rep. Steven Cohen for Tennessee’s 9th District.