In a recent event discussion that took place in Arizona, a key state for border elections, Donald Trump, the Republican presidential hopeful, stated that he might consider levying tariffs on nations, including China, who fail to control the emigration of illegal immigrants to the United States, if he emerges victorious in the forthcoming November US election. Although he didn’t specify the exact amount of potential tariff, he stressed on the considerable economic power of the US.
Answering a question about how he intends to manage illegal migration into the US, Trump proposed the use of financial leverage such as tariffs. Trump was firm in his warning that if any country, including China, did not cooperate in controlling this influx of immigrants to the US, he would consider imposing substantial tariffs on them if reelected.
As the November 5th election approaches, the subject of border security and immigration has become a significant concern for Americans, where Trump will again contest against the incumbent democrat president, Joe Biden, rekindling their 2020 presidential duel.
The majority of unauthorized Immigrants in the US are Latin Americans. However, according to official US figures, from the start of October 2023 to the end of April 2024, there was a remarkable surge in Chinese immigrants with more than 27,000 Chinese individuals apprehended by the US Border Patrol while trying to unlawfully cross the Mexican-American border.
This event marked Trump’s first campaign activity since being found guilty on all 34 charges of falsifying business records for covering up a payment of $130,000 that his former attorney, Michael Cohen, had paid to actress Stormy Daniels for her silence about an alleged sexual relationship with Trump prior to the 2016 elections. Despite denying the charges and expressing his intent to appeal the decision, he labelled the trial as “manipulated”.
Trump also criticised Biden’s most recent attempt to manage unauthorised crossings at the southern US border with a migrant asylum ban similar to the restrictions endeavoured during Trump’s presidency. This ban was instated this Tuesday by an executive order from Biden restricting asylum for immigrants attempting illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border. Trump, however, denounced Biden’s plan as “appalling” and a sign of “despair and capitulation”, despite the new measure reflecting Trump-era policies to discourage potential immigrants.
Biden has adopted a more stringent stance on matters of border security as issues related to immigration pose significant political challenges for his administration. Trump, on the other hand, had espoused a severe immigration policy which he declared would be fully executed if he regained power.
Implemented by Biden, the new directive would facilitate the swift deportation or return of migrants apprehended for crossing the border unlawfully; the order came into effect last Wednesday. Although the directive provides a few exceptions for unaccompanied minors, those facing severe medical or safety issues, and trafficking victims, as confirmed by the US Department of Homeland Security.
During a rally in Phoenix, Trump criticised Biden’s directive, leading to a chorus of disapproval from his supportive audience. Trump further pledged to retract Biden’s directive on his initial day in office if he remounts the presidency.
Trump made unsupported claims proposing that Biden’s asylum restriction would annually permit at least 2 million “illegally migrated border-crossers” into the U.S. Upon inquiry into how Trump arrived at this figure, there was no immediate response from his campaign.
Within the fiscal year ending on 30th September 2023, approximately 2 million migrants were detained by the US Border Patrol for illegal crossing, with similar statistics observed this year. However, Biden’s most recent manoeuvre aims to decrease, not uphold current rates of attempted crossings.
Trump also suggested the possibility of bringing back US troops stationed overseas to supervise the southern border. Biden has repeatedly attempted, with no success, to pass a stern border security bill in the Senate, devised by a cross-party group. However, this bill was dismissed by Republicans following Trump’s opposition.
Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for Biden’s campaign, made a statement that Trump is responsible for the blocking of the most impartial ruthless cross-party border legislation in recent years, because he believes it will benefit him politically. According to Munoz, Trump’s obstruction of the bill enables him to assert that the immigration system is “dysfunctional”.
Several people at Trump’s event had to be evacuated via stretcher due to heat exhaustion, after queuing for extensive hours in near 43-degree weather.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.