Joe Biden and Donald Trump will both visit the U.S. border with Mexico on Thursday, dueling visits by the president and his expected reelection opponent and highlighting the importance of immigration as an issue in the upcoming election campaign. .
Biden will visit Brownsville, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, while his predecessor will head to Eagle Pass, about 525 miles away.
On Monday, Biden told reporters in New York: “I planned it on Thursday. What I didn’t know is that my best friend was apparently going to go.”
Asked if he planned to meet with immigrants in Brownsville, the president said, “I’m not going to announce it in advance.”
The White House announced that Biden will “meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement and local leaders.”
Biden also said he would “discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate’s bipartisan Border Security Agreement, the toughest and fairest border security reform in decades.” He will renew his call for Congressional Republicans to stop playing politics and provide needed funding for additional U.S. Border Patrol agents, more asylum workers and fentanyl detection technology. ”
The situation at the southern border poses a serious challenge for the White House in terms of how to deal with it pragmatically. record number From a political perspective: the number of illegal immigrants entering the country through Central America and defending against Republican attacks.
Earlier this month, President Trump directed Republicans to vote down a bipartisan border and immigration deal in the Senate. He has alarmed progressives, but Biden has since reportedly been considering executive orders to impose policy changes, including restricting entry of immigrants seeking asylum into the United States.
House Republicans pushed for the border bill despite such machinations by their party and even succeeded in impeaching Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on his second attempt.
Despite the widely held view that the articles of impeachment against Mr. Mayorkas do not meet the criteria for conviction and removal, the process now moves to the Senate.
During the election campaign, Trump intensified his far-right anti-immigrant rhetoric, calling immigrants “addiction The blood of this country.”
Monday, Trump – Who? reportedly Scheduled to speak at Eagle Pass – Truth said via social platform: “If I become president, we will immediately close our borders, stop invasion, and begin America’s largest deportation operation of illegal criminals on day one.” History! “
Trump’s press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, accused Biden of making a “last-ditch, disingenuous attempt to push President Trump to the border,” but said it would not “hurt” his support among voters. Stated.
On Monday, new vote The Monmouth University professor was thought to be indicative of voters’ sentiments toward immigration.
According to the poll, more than 80% of voters currently view illegal immigration as a very serious (61%) or somewhat serious (23%) problem.
A majority of respondents, 53%, said they supported building a wall along the Mexican border. The promise to do so, and to make Mexico pay for it, was a key pillar of President Trump’s shock victory in the 2016 election. Failing to do so, debates over the effectiveness and environmental impact of barriers erected or maintained have been a constant theme of his presidency.
More than 60% of respondents to Monmouth poll They said they support asylum seekers who must remain in Mexico until their claims are processed.
Regarding crime, another central issue of the Trump campaign, the polling organization found that “about 1 in 3 (32%) Americans believe that illegal immigrants commit violent crimes such as rape and murder more than other Americans.” I think it’s highly likely.”
Polls showed 65% of Republicans hold that view, but only 12% of Democrats.
“Illegal immigration has emerged as a defining issue in this presidential election year.” Said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Public Opinion Research Institute. “Other Monmouth polls have found this to be Mr. Biden’s weakest policy area, even among his fellow Democrats.”
Nevertheless, the White House and Biden campaign hope to turn the tide on Trump and the Republicans on immigration.
In the campaign video released On Sunday, Biden was seen watching footage discussing why President Trump turned to Senate Republicans to scrap their own border agreement.
“This is a much better deal for the other side,” Trump told Fox News.
“He just acknowledged it,” Biden said. “He sabotaged our bipartisan agreement to secure our borders…Do you know who the other side is? In this case, America. Donald Trump antagonizes America at every opportunity. ing.”
