On February 29, U.S. President Joe Biden and his prospective Republican opponent, Donald Trump, went on parallel walks along the Texas border with Mexico. These travels highlighted the significance of immigration to the 2024 election and the desire of both men to use it for their own gain.
Each selected the best place to convey his ideas, and all had very identical timetables. Each received an operations and problems briefing, went on a stroll along the border, and made statements that touched on each other. But the parallels stopped there.
Biden Tours Southern Border Amid Criticism
Mr. Biden visited Brownsville, a community in the Rio Grande Valley, to draw attention to how Republicans, acting at the direction of President Trump, destroyed a bipartisan border security agreement. This was the main corridor for illegal crossings for nine years, but in recent months, there has been a significant decline in them.
While strolling along a peaceful section of the Rio Grande border, the president was given a thorough operations briefing by Homeland Security officials, who candidly discussed with him what additional resources they deemed necessary.
He addressed the authorities there, saying, “I want the American people to know what we’re trying to get done.” “We can’t afford to do this. “Meanwhile, Mr. Trump persisted in intensifying his criticism of migrants who are crossing the border, branding them as “terrorists” and lawbreakers. He declared, “This is an invasion by Joe Biden.”
Mr. Trump was in Eagle Pass, which is located in the region with the most crossings right now, some 325 miles (523 km) northwest of Brownsville. He went to a neighborhood park that has come to represent Republican rejection of the federal government’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies.
During a tour, Governor Greg Abbott and Texas National Guard soldiers displayed razor wire that had been installed against a ruling by the US Supreme Court and Mr. Abbott’s orders. “This resembles a war,” stated Mr. Trump.
Politics surrounding undocumented immigration?
For a variety of complex factors, such as the economy, cartels that view migration as a cash cow, conflict and instability in other countries, and climate change, the number of individuals entering the United States illegally has been climbing for years.
The administration’s strategy has been to combine border crackdowns with expanded legal immigration routes to encourage individuals to fly in with sponsors rather than cross the border illegally on foot.
January saw half of the arrests for unauthorized crossings, whereas December saw record highs. The amount of people crossing the border between the United States and Mexico has greatly exceeded the capacity of the immigration system, which hasn’t seen significant changes in many years. Republicans and Mr. Trump argue that Mr. Biden is not acting, but in the absence of a legislative change, any significant actions are likely to face legal challenges or delays.
Concerns over the country’s flawed immigration system are growing among those people, regardless of party affiliation, which may provide a specific challenge for Biden.
An AP-NORC survey conducted in January revealed that 35% of respondents were worried about immigration, up from 27% the previous year. In 2024, 55% of Republicans believe that immigration is a priority for the government, compared to 22% of Democrats who agreed. That is an increase from December 2022’s 45% and 14%, respectively.
A group of people gathered at the little airport with placards that said, “Trump 2024,” cheered Mr. Trump’s landing. Some shouted, “Congrats, Trump!” He spent a few minutes chatting with fans before boarding his waiting SUV.
The immigration debate in Washington has moved even more to the right since the president’s last visit to the border a year ago. Since migrants are now sleeping in major cities’ police stations and airplane hangars, Democrats have grown more inclined to support border restrictions.
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