Although mass deportation of immigrants in the country illegally has been a central talking point of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, on the national debate stage both the former president and his Republican running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, have spoken out about it. Have offered some details on how this will work.
Asked during the vice presidential debate on Tuesday to explain how the Trump administration would carry out what he called “the largest deportation campaign in American history,” Vance said he would start by deporting people who have crossed the border illegally. Apart from having committed some crimes. He also said he would make it more difficult to get jobs in the US for people who do not have legal status, claiming that “many people cannot work for less than minimum wage in our own country if they People will go home.”
But he repeatedly dodged a question about whether he would separate children who are U.S. citizens from their parents, and incorrectly said there were “20, 25 million” immigrants in the U.S. without legal status (widespread The formally accepted number is approximately) 11 million,
Like last month’s presidential debate, Tuesday there was a face-off between Vance and Minnesota Gov. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz focused more on immigration rhetoric than new policy prescriptions.
Unlike the presidential debate, in which commentary on immigration devolved into sound bites and verbal jokes, Walz and Vance presented their respective campaign messages in cordial tones. For Vance, this meant blaming many problems – from crime to the cost of housing – on immigrants living in the country illegally. For Walz, this meant blaming Trump for the failure of bipartisan border security legislation, while working to appeal to liberal voters.
Immigration is a central issue in this year’s election, and polls show a majority of voters want to see it Immigration levels decreased,
Last month, Vance spread lies about Haitians stealing and eating other residents’ pets in Springfield, Ohio. in one Interview with CNNHe defended promoting the rumours, saying he was willing to “make up stories” to get his message across.
On Tuesday, Walz brought up Vance’s comments on Haitians, most of whom live and work in the US legally under Temporary Protected Status.
“The result in Springfield was that the governor had to send state law enforcement to escort kindergartners to school,” Walz said. “When it becomes a topic of discussion like this, we dehumanize and villainize other human beings.”
Vance emphasized talking about comprehensive immigration policy.
“The people I’m most concerned about in Springfield, Ohio, are the American citizens whose lives have been destroyed because of Kamala Harris’s open border,” he said. “This is outrageous, Tim, and I actually think I agree with you. “I think you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think Kamala Harris does that.”
During the presidential debate, Trump repeatedly returned to the topic of immigration, asked about the January 6, 2021, insurrection, the economy and why he refused to acknowledge that he had lost the 2020 election. Trump and Vance repeated false claims about Haitians in Springfield, which have been condemned by Ohio leaders, including Republican Governor Mike DeWine.
Walz’s argument for solving immigration centered on his support for a failed bipartisan border bill, which would have added 1,500 border agents and resources to stem the flow of fentanyl and expedite asylum decisions. Trump puts pressure on House Republicans drop support For this year’s bill.
Walz said, “We had the fairest and toughest bill on immigration that this country has seen.” “It was drafted by James Lankford, a conservative senator from Oklahoma. I know him. He’s extremely conservative, but he’s a man of principle. Wants to get it done.”
Harris and Walz focused their debate on the failure of a bipartisan border security bill, saying that “in reality, presidents have an amazing amount of existing power over immigration,” said C. Stewart Verdry Jr., who was then Assistant to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Was the secretary, said. George W. Bush administration.
Worderi, now member National Security and Immigration CouncilWalz was expected to hear what he thinks about a broader expansion under the Biden administration of temporary legal status, such as the program that has allowed over 500,000 Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians will fly to the US if they have a financial sponsor. Trump has vowed to deport many immigrants with temporary status.
As for Vance, Verdi said he expected the senator to press his stated belief that immigration is completely bad — which, he said, is contrary to the research of most economists, the traditional Republican Party, and moral values. He questioned, for example, whether Vance understood that mass deportations would wreak chaos on the economy and American communities.
“You really wish they could get some more specifics on what they want to do,” Verdi said. “Especially since neither Walz nor Vance had federal executive privilege.”
Brad Jones, a political science professor at UC Davis who studies immigration policy, said the exchange between Vance and Walz on immigration was largely meaningless.
He said Trump and Vance have been good at controlling the narrative around immigration, so Tuesday’s debate gave Walz the last chance to explicitly address his and Harris’ plans on that type of platform — and Walz missed. Went.
He said, “Walz did not address the false narratives on immigration promoted by the Trump campaign and instead wanted to find a middle ground, but there is no middle ground on an issue where the other side has no interest in common ground. ” “I think Walz’s desire to appeal to potentially uncommitted voters fell on deaf ears.”
