Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States is “like a garbage can” to the rest of the world because of its border policies during an immigration rally in Tempe, Ariz., less than two weeks before Election Day.
“They have unleashed an army and gangs of migrants on a campaign of violence,” said Trump, who regularly uses dehumanizing language when talking about undocumented immigrants. “We are a dump. We are like a garbage can for the world.”
There has been immigration major attention Throughout the campaign, Trump highlighted stories about undocumented immigrants committing crimes and blaming them for the rise in violence.
This rhetoric comes even as it does at border crossings lowest levels Since President Joe Biden took office in 2020. In September, Border Patrol agents apprehended fewer than 54,000 immigrants trying to cross into the United States in September, the lowest level since August 2020, when Trump was still in the White House.
At the battleground state of Arizona on Thursday, Trump also reiterated his pledge to end sanctuary cities, his call for the death penalty if an undocumented immigrant kills a US citizen, his plan to ask Congress for 10,000 new border patrol agents and his promise to resurrect it. – The so-called “remain in Mexico” policy required migrants to remain in Mexico while awaiting asylum hearings. The Biden administration ended the policy.
“Millions of people flocked to you,” Trump said. “And we’re not going to let things happen.”
Trump also continued to ramp up his rhetoric against Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he increasingly calls an “idiot” for focusing on her intelligence.
“And in yet another incoherent train wreck of a TV interview yesterday, Kamala Harris once again says she opposes the plan to send illegal aliens home,” Trump said. “He is a low IQ individual.”
During CNN City Hall in Pennsylvania Asked about immigration on Wednesday, Harris said Trump “hasn’t done much” and wants to allow legal immigration, but “people have to earn it.”
When pressed, he reiterated his support for a bipartisan bill that includes $650 million for a border wall, something he has previously criticized.
“We need a president based on common sense and practical results,” Harris said. “Okay, let’s fix this.”
Arizona is one of several swing states expected to ultimately determine the race between Trump and Harris. Earlier this month, early in-person voting began in the state, prompting visits from both Trump and Harris.
Recent opinion polls show Trump with a slight lead in the state, but within the margin of error.