During CBS’s March Madness coverage on Sunday, former NBA star and analyst Charles Barkley delivered an emotional response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies after the broadcast aired a feature on Alex Karaban and his family.
Karaban, a star for the University of Connecticut, is the son of Belarusian immigrants. After the segment aired, Barkley said the story touched a nerve.
“I want to be very careful with my words right now, because this is a really touchy subject for me,” Barkley said. “I love that kid and his family, but the way some of these other immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace.”
The Hall of Famer then drew a distinction between undocumented immigrants with criminal records and families seeking better opportunities.
Charles Barkley on CBS tonight:
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) March 30, 2026
“The way some of these immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace. What we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants is really unfortunate and really sad.”
Charles Barkley is not a politician. Not an… pic.twitter.com/RcmQwZpO1V
“I think there’s a difference between amazing immigrants and criminal immigrants,” Barkley said. “What we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants is really unfortunate and it’s really sad.”
Barkley praised Karaban’s story as “a great immigrant story” and said more families like his deserve recognition.
“We have a lot of great immigrant stories out there whose stories need to be told,” he said. “Immigrants built this country and we should admire them and respect them.”
His remarks come as Trump’s administration continues a broad crackdown on illegal immigration, carrying out deportation operations and border enforcement efforts across the country. After Barkley finished speaking, host Nate Burleson responded simply: “Chuck, I love you, bro.”
In the comments section, fans praised Barkley’s courage, but some say they are not expecting MAGA to cancel him for speaking up for the oppressed.