Trump promises biggest deportation. Where do he and Kamala Harris stand on immigration in the US?

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, immigration has become a hot topic, with Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris presenting differing approaches. In an interaction with Tesla CEO Elon Musk on X on Tuesday, Trump vowed to carry out the largest deportation of illegal immigrants in U.S. history if elected. Harris, in her first look at the immigration issue after officially being nominated as the Democratic nominee, emphasized her commitment to “strong border security.”

Trump expressed concern about illegal immigration, estimating that “approximately 50-60 million people” from countries including Africa, Asia and the Middle East have crossed the borders into the US.

In his conversation with Musk, that was delayed by more than 40 minutes due to technical problemsTrump, 78, spoke about the recent attempted murder on him in Pennsylvaniawhere his life was saved while he showed a graph of illegal immigrantsand reiterated his plan for mass deportation.

“We will undertake the largest deportation effort that this country has ever seen,” Trump declared. “Our goal is to restore order and to make sure that our immigration laws are enforced to the fullest extent possible.”

Trump argued that strict enforcement of immigration laws is essential for national security and economic stability.

“We must act decisively to protect our borders and our citizens,” he said, calling the deportation plan necessary to address a growing crisis.

TRUMP CRITICIZES KAMALA HARRIS OVER IMMIGRATION

In addition, Trump described Biden’s exit from the presidential race on July 21 as a “coup” by the Democrats.

This came after Biden’s poor performance during the first presidential debate on June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia.

After withdrawing, Biden endorsed Kamala Harris, 59, who is now the Democratic presidential candidate runs against Trump.

Their debate is scheduled for September.

Trump seized the opportunity to attack Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her “fake” and blaming her for the rise in illegal immigration.

“The number of illegal immigrants Kamala has welcomed into our communities is much greater than we think,” he said, accusing her of allowing criminals into the country.

HARRIS’S COMMITMENT TO BORDER SECURITY

Vice President Kamala Harris, on the other hand, has pledged to fight for “strong border security” and criticized Trump for opposing immigration legislation that would limit asylum.

She promised to sign such a bill if elected.

“I was attorney general of a border state. I went after the transnational gangs, the drug cartels, the human traffickers. I prosecuted them in case after case and I won, so I know what I’m talking about,” Harris said, Politico reported.

In his speech to more than 15,000 supporters at the Desert Diamond Arena, Harris blamed Trump for Congress’s failure to pass a bipartisan border deal earlier this year.

“He talks a lot about border security, but he doesn’t do it,” she told the crowd in Arizona on Friday, her first comment on immigration since officially being chosen as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.

Harris continued: “We know our immigration system is broken, and we know what it will take to fix it: comprehensive reform with strong border security and an earned path to citizenship,” Politico reported.

Harris’ campaign has been proactive in addressing immigration and border security, traditionally a thorny issue for Democrats.

BIDENS ‘BORDER CZAR’: REPUBLICANS TARGETED HARRIS

Republican ads have linked Harris to the record numbers of migrants earlier in the Biden administration and called her President Joe Biden’s “border czar,” despite her more limited role, which was largely focused on addressing the root causes of migration from Central American countries.

While Democrats typically shy away from the immigration debate, Harris’ campaign has taken a harder line and she has been portrayed throughout her career as someone who has consistently championed border issues.

Her comments Friday dovetailed with a new campaign ad emphasizing a tough message on immigration.

“As vice president, she sponsored the toughest border enforcement law in decades. And as president, she’ll hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking. Fixing the border is hard. So is Kamala Harris,” the ad said, Politico reported.

Earlier this year, Democrats attempted to take a centrist approach to immigration, citing failed border security efforts by both parties in the Senate.

However, Harris’ current position closely matches the administration’s position.

In the past, Harris, like other 2020 Democratic candidates, has argued that unauthorized entry into the country should not be a criminal offense.

Now her campaign claims her position is “the same as the administration’s: unauthorized border crossings are illegal.”

As the 2024 election approaches, both candidates have laid out their immigration policies in clear terms, setting the stage for an important debate on how to address one of the country’s most pressing issues.