Last week, President Biden and former President Donald Trump both visited the U.S. southern border to discuss immigration policy and how to address the country’s latest migration surge. Biden and Trump visited different sectors of the border, with dueling arguments over the nation’s biggest immigration challenges and possible solutions.
Let’s take a closer look at Biden and Trump’s border visits and what they say about the future of immigration policy in the United States:
Biden’s border challenges
Biden’s trip to Brownsville, Texas, last week marked the president’s first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in more than a year. Biden’s choice to visit the border is part of the administration’s shift toward a more aggressive campaign strategy in recent months. Overall, the Biden administration has implemented tougher policies and rhetoric regarding the border, even hinting at a possible “shutdown” of the border to quell the influx of migrants.
During his visit to Brownsville, a city with fewer border crossings than other areas, Biden argued that the U.S. southern border could operate efficiently and securely with more resources from Congress. The Biden administration’s recent difficulties in passing an immigration bill in the Senate highlight how polarized Democrats and Republicans have become on the border issue. “It’s important to see how we treat migrants at our border,” said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat who represents Brownsville. Gonzalez met with Biden during last week’s visit to discuss how immigration reform and federal support could improve the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border for U.S. citizens and asylum seekers.
Since taking office, Biden has faced political pressure from both sides over border policy and how to handle an unprecedented number of migrant crossings. A CNN Poll Last month, just 30% of Americans approved of Biden’s border strategy, and 79% of voters (representing both Democrats and Republicans) said the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border was a “crisis.” “.
Trump’s anti-migrant campaign
Last week, Trump visited Eagle Pass, a border town of about 28,000 and the scene of a heated conflict between the Biden administration and Texas immigration governor Greg Abbott. As part of his Lone Star border crackdown, Abbott deployed the Texas National Guard and other state law enforcement to the border and installed miles of barbed wire along the Rio River Great to deter the passage of migrants. In Eagle Pass, Trump met with members of the Texas National Guard and visited a local park next to the Rio Grande, where state officials reportedly blocked access to federal Border Patrol agents.
Despite legal challenges from the Biden administration, Abbott has stepped up immigration enforcement in his state and opposed federal immigration policy, making Eagle Pass the perfect backdrop for Trump’s campaign visit.
On the eve of the 2024 presidential election, Trump has intensified his extreme anti-migrant rhetoric, with promises mass expulsions and detention camps for undocumented immigrants if he is re-elected. Trump built his first presidential campaign on anti-immigration sentiment, hoping he could capitalize on that strategy again to secure a second term.
Looking forward
According to a recent survey According to Gallup, American voters now view immigration as the most important issue facing the country. The survey finds that the share of U.S. adults citing “immigration” as their top concern increased to 28% in February 2024, up from 20% the month before. Immigration has overtaken both “government” and “the economy in general” as the priority issue.
Side visits to the U.S.-Mexico border prove that immigration and border policy will play an important role in the upcoming presidential election in November. Despite divergent views on how to fix a hobbled asylum system and the resulting migrant crisis, immigration is a priority for American voters across the country, regardless of their position on the issue. political spectrum.