Migrants waiting to cross the southern border into the US express a desire for President Biden to win re-election because they fear that former President Donald Trump would not allow them into the country if he regains control of the White House. Richard Betancourt, a pipe fitter, mentioned that if Trump wins, it does not matter how much they work, as they would not be allowed in. Alejandra Falcon, who has traveled from Venezuela, also shared concerns about what would happen if Biden does not win.
During Trump’s first term, he focused on immigration by reducing the number of refugees receiving green cards and visas and attempted to build a border wall, ultimately deporting fewer undocumented migrants than his predecessor, Barack Obama. However, after Trump was voted out of office, illegal border crossings surged to an all-time high of 2.2 million in 2022, leading to nearly 7.3 million illegal border crossings since Biden took office.
Biden initially vowed to rescind Title 42, which allowed migrants to be turned away at the border, and now they simply need to claim a “credible fear” of returning to their home countries to be allowed entry into the US and given a court appearance ticket. However, the court process can take years, and migrants may travel throughout the country, making it difficult for immigration officials to locate them. Trump has criticized Biden’s handling of the border, leading to nearly 70% of voters expressing disapproval of Biden’s approach in a March poll.
Amid concerns about migrants committing crimes in the US, Biden vowed to “shut down the border” in January to regain support, particularly from Republicans, for a Senate supplemental spending bill with money for border security. However, the bill failed in the Senate, with Democrats accusing Republicans of wanting to preserve the border issue for the upcoming election. Biden’s campaign manager clarified that the president does not talk about shutting down the border and is not advocating for it but did not provide further comments to the Washington Post.
The ongoing debate about border policies has fueled discussions on both sides of the political spectrum, with voters expressing worry about the increasing number of migrants committing crimes in the US. As Trump continues to criticize Biden’s handling of the border, the focus on border security remains a prominent issue in the lead-up to the November election. Despite Biden’s efforts to address the concerns about the border and illegal crossings, the situation at the southern border continues to be a contentious issue with potential implications for the upcoming election.
