The US-Mexico border has been a central issue in the 2024 US presidential election, with former President Donald Trump pledging to deport millions of immigrants if he wins a second term. Trump has been accused of exploiting the idea of a border crisis and demonizing immigrants, while his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has been criticized for her handling of the issue. In the lead-up to the election, migrant encounters at the US-Mexico border have fallen sharply, with US authorities stepping up enforcement and making it harder for migrants to seek asylum. Despite this, border security and immigration remain key issues for voters, with many trusting Trump over Harris to handle the situation.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Date of Search | 10 October 2024 |
US-Mexico Border Status | Migrant encounters at the US-Mexico border fell sharply in 2024, with a 77% decline from December 2023 to August 2024. |
US Political Climate | Immigration is a key issue in the 2024 US presidential election. Former President Donald Trump has pledged to deport some legal immigrants if he wins a second term. |
Mexican Government Efforts | The Mexican government has stepped up enforcement to prevent migrants from reaching the US border. |
Biden Administration Actions | The Biden administration has enacted tougher restrictions on seeking asylum, resulting in a four-year low in migrant crossings. |
What You'll Learn
Trump's pledge to deport some legal immigrants
Former US President Donald Trump has pledged to deport some immigrants who are legally residing in the United States. This includes people who were admitted under Humanitarian Parole or the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which offers protection to migrants from certain countries. Trump's comments have sparked concern and criticism from various quarters, including lawmakers, experts, and communities that benefit from the presence of these immigrants.
Trump's pledge specifically targets Haitian immigrants, who have been the subject of baseless and racist claims by Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance. They have falsely accused Haitian migrants of eating pets and have vowed to deport them if elected. This rhetoric has been condemned by some Republicans, such as Pennsylvania state senator Camera Bartolotta, who highlighted the positive contributions of Haitian immigrants to her district.
The potential impact of Trump's pledge goes beyond the immigrants themselves. Communities that have benefited from the presence of these immigrants, particularly small towns and rural areas, would suffer economic and social consequences. Towns like Charleroi, Pennsylvania, have seen a revival of local industries due to the contributions of Haitian immigrants, who fill labour gaps and pay taxes. Deporting these immigrants would accelerate the decline of these already struggling communities.
The feasibility of Trump's plan has been questioned by experts. Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law professor at Cornell Law School, points out that people on parole or temporary protected status have a legal status, and deporting them would require separate grounds such as criminal convictions. Additionally, the logistical and financial challenges of mass deportations are significant, and the use of the military for this purpose may face legal and political obstacles.
Trump's pledge to deport legal immigrants is part of his broader strategy to stoke fear among his supporters about changing demographics and race. By presenting immigrants as dangerous and antithetical to America, he gains political support from those who share his implicit position that White conservative America is the "real America." However, this toxic rhetoric has very real consequences for both the immigrants and the communities they call home.
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Biden's asylum restrictions
Bidens' Asylum Restrictions
In June 2024, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order and "Asylum Ban" rule that severely limits asylum access at the southern border. The order allows officials to quickly remove migrants entering the US illegally without processing their asylum requests. This has been done to curb the high number of migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border, which has been a cause for concern for the Biden administration in an election year.
The order states that once a daily threshold is met and the border is "overwhelmed", migrants will be removed without their asylum requests being processed. The threshold is set at 2,500 daily crossings over a seven-day average, and the border will reopen to asylum seekers only when the average drops to 1,500 over a seven-day period.
The "Asylum Ban" bars people from asylum protection if they have crossed through another country on their way to the southern US border unless they had previously been denied asylum or managed to make an appointment through the CBP One App. This has been criticised as most asylum seekers travel to the US through Mexico, which is already one of the largest recipients of asylum applications and is not a safe option for all.
The Biden administration has defended the new policies, stating that they are necessary to control the border and that they will only be in effect during times of high migrant encounters. They have also stated that exemptions will be made for unaccompanied children and those being trafficked. However, the order has been criticised by activists, Democratic lawmakers, and the United Nations, who argue that it is inhumane and may violate US laws and international refugee protection standards.
The impact of the order has been a sharp decline in migrant encounters at the US-Mexico border in 2024, with a 77% decline in encounters between December 2023 and August 2024. Despite this, border security remains a key issue in the 2024 US presidential election, with 88% of registered voters favouring improved security along the country's borders.
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Trump's border wall
The Mexico–United States barrier, commonly referred to as "The Wall", is an expansion of the existing barrier between the two countries that started during the presidency of Donald Trump. It was a critical part of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign platform, with Trump repeatedly claiming that Mexico would pay for the wall's construction. However, the Mexican government rejected this idea. The wall was intended to prevent illegal crossings from Mexico into the United States and was touted as a solution to the immigration issue.
In January 2017, Trump signed Executive Order 13767, directing the US government to begin construction of the wall using existing federal funding. After a struggle for funding, construction started in 2018. The US built new barriers along 455 miles (732 km), 49 miles (79 km) of which previously had no barrier. The construction included 30-foot-tall (9.1 m) steel bollard walls, fencing, and vehicle barriers. The total funding given for new fencing was about $15 billion, with a third provided by Congress and the rest taken from the military budget.
Despite Trump's claims of its effectiveness, the wall faced criticism and opposition from various quarters. Some critics noted that expanding the wall would not stop the misuse of legal ports of entry, and it could be bypassed by tunneling, climbing, or using boats or aircraft. There were also concerns about the wall's impact on the environment and wildlife, with several endangered species potentially affected.
The funding for the wall was a contentious issue, with Trump initially suggesting a 20% tariff on Mexican goods to compel Mexico to pay. However, this idea faced objections from Congress members of both parties. The funding sources included reallocating funds from the military budget and declaring a national emergency, which was later ruled unlawful. The construction of the wall also led to legal challenges, with lawsuits filed by various states, environmental groups, and the House of Representatives.
In January 2021, newly inaugurated President Joe Biden terminated the national emergency and halted construction of the wall. The Biden administration later cancelled all border wall projects that were funded by diverting money from the Department of Defense.
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The Bipartisan Border Bill
The bill included a range of provisions aimed at enhancing border security and addressing the flow of illegal drugs and asylum seekers. It proposed new restrictions on border crossings, authorizing the government to temporarily enact emergency measures to stop unauthorized crossings if the number of border crossings exceeded a certain threshold. The asylum process would also be overhauled, with new restrictions such as raising the legal standard for passing the initial assessment and limiting the number of chances for appeal.
The legislation also included more permissive measures toward immigration, such as increasing funding for legal representation for minors under 13, providing a pathway to citizenship for some immigrants from Afghanistan, and increasing the number of job and family visas issued each year for three years. Additionally, the bill earmarked approximately $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and allocated $20.2 billion for border security improvements and $2.3 billion in assistance to refugees in the US.
The bill was initially introduced in February but failed to advance in the Senate, with Trump denouncing it and urging Republicans not to pass it. Trump argued that the bill was a "gift" to Democrats and that "a bad border deal is far worse than no border deal." Despite the bill's bipartisan origins and support from border agents, it ultimately failed to gain sufficient Republican support, with only one GOP senator voting in favor of it.
Vice President Kamala Harris has criticized Trump for killing the bill to boost his campaign and has made its passage a key part of her platform. She argues that Trump preferred to run on a problem rather than fix it, highlighting immigration as a central issue in the upcoming election.
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Asylum-seekers in Mexico
In 2023, Mexico received 127,796 asylum applications, a 29% increase from 2022. This makes Mexico a significant destination country for individuals seeking international protection in the Americas. The country is also a major transit area for those involved in northbound mixed movements.
The process of applying for refugee status in Mexico is free and confidential. Asylum-seekers can apply at the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) in several cities across Mexico, or the Office of Immigration Regulation of the National Institute of Immigration (INM) in the rest of the country within 30 business days of their arrival. COMAR will ask applicants to fill out a form explaining why they left their country, and whether their family is with them or in their country of origin.
When the application is submitted, COMAR will issue a certificate proving that the process has started, along with a temporary Unique Population Registry Code (CURP) which allows access to public services. Applicants then have an eligibility interview with COMAR, where they will be asked to explain the reasons for leaving their country and why they cannot return. Applicants are entitled to have a lawyer throughout the process, and interpretation services are available for those who do not speak Spanish.
After the interview, COMAR will take up to 45-100 business days to study the case and give a decision. If the decision is positive, the applicant will coordinate with COMAR and go to the National Institute of Immigration (INM) to process their permanent residency in Mexico as a refugee. If the decision is negative, the applicant can appeal within 15 business days, and COMAR will review the case for a second time.
Discriminatory policies such as Remain in Mexico (RMX) and Title 42 have restricted access to the US asylum process for displaced people arriving at the US-Mexico border. Asylum-seekers subjected to RMX face significant obstacles to accessing legal counsel, and only 7% of asylum-seekers in RMX had access to counsel. Title 42 has been used to turn away and expel asylum-seekers, forcing them to return to Mexico and face harsh living conditions.
Frequently asked questions
The US-Mexico border is currently open, but former President Trump has pledged to seal the border if he wins a second term.
Trump has vowed to deport some legal immigrants and carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants if he is re-elected. He has also promised to complete the construction of a border wall, increase enforcement, and implement the largest mass deportation of undocumented migrants in US history.
Migrant encounters at the US-Mexico border have fallen sharply in 2024. The monthly number of encounters in August was 77% lower than in December 2023, which saw a record high.
Closing the border would have a significant impact on migration and could lead to another rise in illegal crossings. It would also likely disrupt the lives of full communities and have severe economic consequences.