At the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump and Harris' performance reflects the national mood toward less immigration, no more.

At the tip of July 2024, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris released a campaign ad across the US-Mexico border that was something out of the Republican playbook.

In the ad, Harris announced that as president she would deploy more border patrol agents, stop human traffickers and prosecute transnational gangs – precisely the things that Republican candidate Donald Trump has promised to do if elected.

Harris' shift to the correct is seen by her campaign strategists as a superb political move and reflects the increasingly anti-immigration attitude of the US population lately. According to a Gallup poll from July 202455% of Americans desired to tighten immigration restrictions, marking the primary time in nearly twenty years that a majority of Americans supported such restrictions.

These anti-immigration attitudes are partly as a result of exaggerated claims by conservative politicians and right-wing experts that the management of the US-Mexico border is a disaster and that the federal government is endangering public safety by allowing violent criminals to enter the US

Worse still, in the course of the Presidential debate On September 10, 2024, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump falsely accused Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, Dogs and cats eat.

As someone who has worked hard Given the big variety of asylum seekers on the border since 2019, I see clear differences between Harris and Trump on the immigration issue.

During his term, Trump implemented a restrictive immigration policy on the border that effectively eliminated the correct to asylum. He was also behind the controversial child separation policy in 2018 and attempted to Deferred measures for arriving childrenor DACA, the Obama-era federal program that forestalls the deportation of tons of of hundreds of illegal immigrants who got here to the United States as children.

Although Harris has not been as successful as Trump on immigration, as a senator and vp of the United States she has shown a willingness to embrace more restrictive border policies, but continues to support a path to citizenship for “Dreamers” and illegal immigrants married to U.S. residents.

Trump’s extremist rhetoric and policies

With border security becoming his essential issue, Trump could much more draconian measures than in his first term, including further restrict the asylum system And deportation as much as 20 million undocumented immigrants.

Perhaps Trump’s most controversial measure during his first term was his child separation policy in 2018, which resulted in over 5,000 children are kidnapped from their parents after they were arrested on the border. This motion led to nationwide protests and international condemnationFrom May 2024 about 1,400 children remained separated from their families.

Undeterred, Trump pursued further restrictive measures.

Trump signed an executive order in 2019 and launched the Migrant Protection Protocols, higher often known as Stay in Mexico Policy. This order required asylum seekers arriving on the U.S. border to be sent back to Mexico while their applications were processed. This program remained in effect until the tip of Trump's presidency in 2020 and led to 81,000 deportations.

Trump also used Restrictions under Title 42 in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, to expel migrants without visas quickly and without exceptions with a purpose to contain the pandemic. In the primary seven months 200,000 migrants were deported.

In particular, the usage of violent rhetoric against migrants increased dramatically during Trump's rise to the leadership of the Republican Party. During his first term, Trump and his officials discussed shootings Migrants crossing the border within the legTexas Governor Greg Abbott, considered one of his key allies, said the rationale officials there Don’t shoot migrants is because they might be charged fees by the federal government.

Trump also promised he could be willing to make use of the US military in Mexico to fight drug cartels.

Harris' balancing act

As a US Senator in 2019, Harris was voted against a constitutional amendment against sanctuary cities that may have allowed local police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and potentially deport immigrants living within the United States illegally.

She was also the first sponsor of the laws This would limit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's actions against those caring for unaccompanied minors. However, as Attorney General of California, Harris supported the handover of minors living illegally within the United States to immigration authorities, which crimes committed.

As vp, Harris appears to support a more restrictive approach just like that of Biden on June 4, 2024. Implementing Regulation The law limited the variety of asylum seekers who were allowed to cross the border.

It also supports the CBP One App System which was created by the Biden administration in early 2023.

Under this procedure, asylum seekers are given the chance to satisfy an immigration officer, but often should wait for months under dangerous conditions in Mexico.

Harris has also repeatedly spoken out in regards to the need for support DACAThe Biden administration expanded medical health insurance in 2024 for DACA recipients, which provides them Access to insurance through the Affordable Healthcare Acthigher often known as Obamacare.

If elected, Harris would likely extend one other of Biden's terms into 2024. Implementing regulations This created a legal path to citizenship for immigrants who shouldn’t have legal residency within the United States but are married to U.S. residents.

In stark contrast has already criticized politics and said he would put an end to the practice if elected.

The Biden-Harris administration also has a mixed record on the subject of borders and deportations. It has deported almost as many immigrants living within the US without legal permission as Trump.

By June 2024, the variety of deportations because the start of the Biden administration in January 2021 had already reached 4.4 millionAt the identical time, these higher numbers reflect the proven fact that more persons are coming to the border as a result of the increased opportunities for entry.

In the primary three years of Biden's presidency, greater than 1 million migrants were allowed to enter the country on the border. temporary parole for humanitarian reasonsthat enables them to remain within the United States while they await their asylum hearing.

The reality of immigration

Republicans overwhelmingly portrayed immigration as a transparent and present threat, while Democrats portrayed it as an act of compassion.

However, in an increasingly anti-immigrant environment, one rarely hears that increased immigration under the Biden-Harris administration was a significant component in US economic growth.

In fact, many economists have also argued that working-class immigrants from across the border have contributed Reduce inflationI’m convinced that the United States needs more, not fewer, migrants, and that a tough line stance and policy is damaging to our society and economy.

While Trump's tough stance on immigrants each on the border and domestically is well-known, Harris' record stands out for a more balanced approach that gives support to at the least some immigrants and asylum seekers living within the U.S. illegally.