Fact-check claims Harris and Trump made about the border

(NewsNation) – With just weeks to go until the 2024 presidential election, border security has become a central issue in the campaign. Both Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump are taking tough positions on migration and making different claims about their record on border policy.

NewsNation fact-checked these claims and revealed a mix of truths, exaggerations and falsehoods from both candidates.

Harris: ‘Most of the fentanyl in America comes from two cartels in Mexico’

Fact check: WHERE

Harris has correctly stated that most fentanyl in America comes from two Mexican cartels, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The DEA confirmed this, citing the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels as the top sources of fentanyl entering the US, with most fentanyl seizures occurring at legal ports of entry.

Harris: ‘Last December I helped raise overtime rates for border agents’

Fact check: WHERE

Harris was careful to note her support for higher overtime pay for border agents, as affirmed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. The bill spent $125 million addressing overtime for Customs and Border Protection agents. This funding is intended to support agents in managing the increased workload at the border.

Harris: ‘In the four years Donald Trump was president, he did nothing to fix our broken immigration system’

Fact check: False

Harris’ claim that Trump “did nothing” to address immigration during his presidency turned out to be false. Trump implemented several measures, including the “Remain in Mexico” policy and increased deportations, although these were often controversial.

Harris: ‘Donald Trump tanked the border bill. He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said, ‘Stop the bill’

Fact check: Misleading

Harris has pointed out that Trump is responsible for blocking a major border security bill. However, this claim is misleading, as many bills have failed due to bipartisan disagreements, rather than direct actions by Trump alone.

Trump: ‘In my opinion, he has allowed… far more than 20 million people into our country’

Fact check: False

Trump’s claim that the Biden administration has allowed “far more than 20 million people” into the country has been greatly exaggerated, according to the House Committee on Homeland Security. The actual number of encounters at U.S. borders is expected to reach about 10 million by the end of the budget year, including repeated crossings and deportations.

These encounters include repeated crossings and deportations, meaning the actual number of unique individuals entering the country is much lower.

Trump: ‘That’s the lowest point in recorded history of the border’

Fact check: Not entirely accurate

Trump’s claim that illegal immigration has reached its lowest point in history during his time in office is not entirely accurate. Although there was a significant decline in the number of crossings, FactCheck.org reports that historic lows actually occurred in previous decades, especially in the early 2000s.

Trump: ‘We had the best numbers ever and we had that largely thanks to the wall’

Fact check: Not entirely accurate

The effectiveness of Trump’s border wall construction is partially true. While it led to a decrease in border crossings in specific areas, reports from the Department of Homeland Security indicate that this was only one aspect of a larger security strategy.

Other measures, such as increased surveillance and “Remain in Mexico” policies, also played a crucial role in reducing the number of border crossings.

Trump: ‘What they’re doing is protecting criminals who are releasing illegal alien criminals instead of handing them over to ICE’

Fact check: False

Trump’s characterization of sanctuary cities as places that protect criminals rather than turning them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is incorrect, according to research from the American Immigration Council and Global Refugee. These cities often transfer individuals convicted of serious crimes to federal custody.