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HARRIS AND TRUMP ON IMMIGRATION
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent

Every American voter goes to the polls with an array of critical issues at the top of their minds.  

We’d like to start our look at the contrasts between the Harris and Trump presidential campaigns by looking at the issues that Americans say are the most important. In our June poll with Marist University and NPR, three issues topped our list: inflation, abortion and immigration.

This week, we are looking at immigration.  Let’s do some side-by-sides.

Undocumented Migrants

Trump: would enact mass deportation of most undocumented people in the country now.  

Details: Trump would enlist local law enforcement, National Guard and possibly other military resources in a national roundup of undocumented immigrants, he told Time Magazine in April. In his view, undocumented immigrants are not “civilians”, though there is no evidence of a military force coming across U.S. borders. Trump regularly asserts, without evidence, that  most migrants illegally entering the country are criminals or terrorists, but Customs and Border Patrol reports that many migrants arrive in family groups.  

The former president also said his deportation policy would begin with those he sees as violent criminals and he conceded that the U.S. may need to increase mass detention facilities to handle the number of people affected. He has not offered further details. 

The Politics: Trump’s approach to this policy is so popular among Republicans, the delegates at the RNC in Milwaukee proudly waved “Mass Deportation Now” signs during the event.

Harris: a full policy is still coming.

So far, Harris has called for a path to citizenship for some migrants already here and touted a bipartisan Senate deal that aims to stop the future flow of illegal immigration and speeds up, but does not expand deporations.

Details: In her nomination acceptance speech, Harris said the U.S. “can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.” In that same speech she said that as president, she would sign the Senate border deal which Republicans blocked earlier this year. That proposal did not increase deportation measures for people currently in the U.S., but instead focused on changing the asylum process and other immigration policies in order to block more migrants from entering the country.

In addition, in 2019, Harris and Biden were among the then-Democratic presidential candidates who raised their hands to agree that crossing the border illegally should be a civil and not criminal offense. But in office as president and vice president, neither pursued this idea.

The Politics: Perhaps sensing the prevailing political winds, Harris has shifted to the right on immigration policies – supporting a move to block access to asylum and spend more to secure the border – while still presenting the Democratic platform as the most humane approach to a difficult issue. 

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Reminder: These are undocumented migrants who were brought here as young children and are sometimes called the ‘Dreamers’. The program provides a legal status and two-year work permit, which can be renewed.

Trump: Trump opposes DACA.

Harris: Harris supports DACA and would like a path to citizenship. 

Details: Harris did not mention the Dreamers in her convention speech. But as vice president, earlier this year, she issued a statement saying she would fight to protect DACA status and push for a path to citizenship.

The Politics: In supporting DACA, Harris is siding with the overwhelming majority of Democrats and independents, alike. 

Asylum

Trump: Trump would place a hard block on asylum seekers entering the country between ports of entry and would, as the AP put it, effectively end asylum at the southern border.

Details: As president, Trump rolled out policies to block or expel asylum seekers who attempted to cross the border between ports of entry.  He has vowed to try to reinstate these policies, including the so-called “remain to Mexico” policy which would state that migrants can only apply for asylum at ports of entry. His policies were touted as ending nearly all asylum at the Southern border.

The Politics: Republicans believe they have an advantage with voters on border and immigration policy. (Though it is close when you factor in the margin of error. In our August poll, 52 percent of voters in our said they trust Trump more on immigration, 46 percent said Harris.)  

Harris: Harris would limit migrants’ ability to qualify for asylum and she would dramatically change the system.

Details: What we know of Harris’ own view on this is centered on the Senate proposal she backed in her convention speech.  That compromise had significant changes for the asylum system, including raising the standards for asylum seekers, increasing detention space and making it more difficult for asylum seekers to either enter or stay in the country.  

Instead, the bill set up a new system that would shut down the border once crossings reach certain high points.  Once that level was reached, many if not most asylum seekers would be returned or otherwise not allowed to enter the U.S.  In addition, the proposal moves the asylum adjudication system so that a large part of it would no longer be in the hands of Department of Justice immigration judges, but rather decided by asylum officers. 

While vice president, Harris was appointed to resolve root causes of migration in Latin America.  President Biden deployed new asylum and border policies, including one that essentially shut down the asylum processing if encounters with people illegally crossing the border reached a certain level. (An idea similar to the Senate bill, but done through executive order.) 

Following this and other policies, border encounters have dramatically declined – now at the lowest level in four years.

The Politics: The dramatic surge of migrants at the border, last year especially, led to increased concern and negative headlines about the Biden administration.  Polls show Americans have become more opposed to immigration in general. Harris and Biden both moved to the right on the issue, talking more about enforcement and border security than when they each ran in 2020.