Socialist Democrat Chris Rabb Challenges Conventional Views on Immigration and Policing

Fox News articles are now available in audio format. Pennsylvania State Representative Chris Rabb, a Democrat from West Oak Lane, is gaining attention as he prepares to represent most of Philadelphia in Congress. He questions conventional perspectives on ‘illegal immigration’ and argues that 99% of police work does not relate to pursuing criminals.

Rabb is known in Harrisburg for his progressive ideas, including efforts to abolish the death penalty and transition Pennsylvania to complete renewable energy by 2050. In 2019, he introduced a ‘carbon pricing’ bill aimed at taxing greenhouse gas emissions above a certain level. The goal was to reinvest the resulting revenue to support low-income consumers and workers affected by a diminishing fossil fuel industry. He also claims that the displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, known as ‘Nakba,’ has never concluded.

Rabb’s platform includes notably far-left, radical positions, Fox News host Sean Hannity said during his show, ‘Hannity.’

Hannity elaborated on Rabb’s platform, which includes support for Medicare for All, universal basic income, federal job guarantees, guaranteed housing, universal childcare, government-managed grocery stores, and replacing GDP with a ‘genuine progress indicator.’

Rabb responded to these characterizations, emphasizing that he does not support every position attributed to him. For instance, he clarified he is not running on abolishing the Senate.

During a discussion with Hannity, Rabb questioned the terminology of ‘illegal immigrants,’ to which Hannity replied by defining them as individuals who enter a country without permission.

Rabb disagreed with the premise, stating that having documentation is not a criminal act. He expressed his desire to abolish ICE, dismantle what he referred to as immigrant concentration camps, and end all deportations. He underscored the need for an efficient and fair immigration system, mentioning an immigration reform proposal by Sen. James Lankford and former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, which he claimed was halted by those in power.

When questioned about the idea of abolishing the police, Rabb noted that organized police departments were not part of America’s early history. Before centralized forces like the Philadelphia Police Department, local constables and civilian watchmen handled crime prevention tasks.

Rabb posited that the ultimate goal is to ensure safe communities, emphasizing that most police activities do not involve chasing criminals. Philadelphia’s centralized municipal police force only formed in 1854 in response to several riots, during a period when the city and the county were separate entities.

Regarding disarming police, Rabb supports self-defense, referencing his family’s history in the South where, according to him, they could only trust themselves for protection due to associations between law enforcement and groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

Rabb recently surprised the Democratic establishment by winning the May primary against state Sen. Sharif Street, defeating a candidate backed by former Mayor John Street, current Mayor Cherelle Parker, and former Governor Edward Rendell. He faces only independent candidate Dennis Mahoney in the upcoming November election.

Fox News Digital attempted to reach Rabb for additional comments. Rabb, born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, has worked at Fox News’ New York and Washington bureaus since 2013.