Former President Donald Trump recently put forward a proposal to address border security concerns. He suggested the hiring of 10,000 extra Border Patrol agents, accompanied by a generous $10,000 retention and signing bonus. This move came after he successfully halted a bipartisan bill earlier this year, which had plans to allocate funds towards increasing border personnel.
During a rally on October 13th in Prescott Valley, Arizona, which is located approximately 260 miles north of the state’s border with Mexico, Trump made a commitment. He graciously accepted an endorsement from the National Border Patrol Council, a union that has been a strong supporter of Trump throughout his previous two campaigns.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has placed significant emphasis on illegal immigration and has consistently held Vice President Kamala Harris accountable for the record surge in unauthorized border crossings between the United States and Mexico.
He often refers to individuals entering the country illegally as invaders and criminals, and has pledged to carry out the most extensive deportation effort in American history should he secure another term as president.
Earlier this year, he took a stand against the union by persuading Republicans to reject a bipartisan immigration bill. The bill, as stated by the White House, aimed to allocate resources for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including the Border Patrol, with funding for 1,500 personnel.
During the rally, Trump firmly expressed his opposition to the legislation, emphasizing his reluctance to hand Democrats a political victory on what he considered to be a crucial issue. He openly criticized the bill, describing it as “a horrible bill.”
Trump and his allies often refer to Harris as the “border czar,” although she has never held that specific title. In the early days of his administration, President Joe Biden did assign Harris the task of examining the underlying reasons for migration from Central America.
“If Border Czar Harris is elected, every city and community in this great country is going to descend into chaos,” warned union president Paul Perez, standing beside Trump on stage alongside a group of agents.
According to Matt Corridoni, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, President Trump’s actions regarding the border bill and his promises that Mexico would pay for the border wall, which ended up being funded by the U.S. government, are worth noting.
Trump has made a commitment to finishing a border wall if he is re-elected as President. He consistently highlights the lower number of border crossings during his administration compared to the higher numbers seen during Biden’s initial three years in office.
However, at present, crossing rates have returned to levels that are equal to or even lower than those observed for the majority of Trump’s term.
During Trump’s presidency, there was a notable challenge in addressing illegal border crossings, which became even more prominent with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent international border closures.
One of the measures taken by his administration was the separation of immigrant children from their parents, which was part of a broader range of enforcement programs aimed at combating illegal immigration.
In a recent statement, Trump expressed his support for Border Patrol agents, emphasizing their deservingness of higher pay and bonuses. He also criticized Biden and Harris for what he perceived as their neglect of the border.