Illegal immigration is a contentious issue in the United States as presidential candidates prepare for the 2024 election, scheduled for November. This issue is heavily utilized in the presidential election campaigns, which will likely see a rematch between current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who is nearing the Republican nomination. Both Biden and Trump are focusing on the southern U.S. border as they try to win voter support on one of the most divisive issues in the country.
What is happening at the border with Mexico? The Republican camp accuses Biden and his administration of causing an increase in the flow of migrants due to the asylum policies they have implemented. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded over 2.5 million crossings in 2023, while Republicans cite even higher numbers. Recently, Texas has confronted the Biden administration as its Republican governor, Greg Abbott, a Trump supporter, accused the federal government of allowing an "invasion" of illegal immigrants at the southern border. Border monitoring is the jurisdiction of federal authorities in the U.S., but Texas has intensified measures to combat immigration, with several ongoing legal disputes surrounding the issue. A new law in Texas is set to take effect on March 5, allowing state authorities to arrest and deport individuals suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, testing the boundaries of state authority.
The White House insists that the Republican Party is intentionally undermining any attempts to settle this issue and that Trump does not want to give Biden a political victory in an election year. The right-wing former president, who gained popularity during his first campaign through promises to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, has used his influence to pressure Republican lawmakers in Congress to prevent the passage of immigration legislation. Senators have been negotiating for months on an agreement to combat illegal immigration, with Republicans insisting on bolstering border security in exchange for agreeing to Biden's request for funding for Ukraine and Israel.
Political analyst and researcher Hassan Mneimeh states that the influx of migrants across the southern U.S. border has reached record numbers in recent years. Mneimeh tells Al-Hurra that "these numbers represent an actual crisis, and it has become difficult for American society to absorb it." He discusses the "shortcomings and failures in the American immigration system over decades," emphasizing that the situation "has reached a point of escalating danger, potentially exceeding to a level of real and severe danger."
Immigration and the Upcoming Presidential Election
For months, polls have shown that Americans view the immigration crisis as their top concern, largely blaming Democrats for the rising numbers. Record numbers of migrants, primarily from Central America and Venezuela, are seeking to enter the U.S. to escape poverty, violence, and disasters exacerbated by climate change. Since Biden took office in 2021, record numbers of migrants have crossed into the United States illegally, including several million who entered Texas.
A February poll by Reuters/Ipsos revealed increasing concerns related to immigration, with 17 percent of participants identifying it as the most important issue facing the U.S. today, compared to 11 percent who reported it as the most pressing issue in December. The economy remains the primary concern for Americans overall, expressed by 22 percent of participants who suffer from inflation and other consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. About two-thirds of participants, including 47 percent of Democrats, say the country is headed in the wrong direction.
Mneimeh confirms that both the Republican and Democratic parties are trying to exploit the immigration issue for electoral purposes. He states that among Republicans, there are "exaggerations and attempts to portray reality as a disaster and an invasion of the United States in an effort to stir voters' emotions." Conversely, on the Democratic side, there are those who argue that the situation is normal and part of the nature and strength of American society. Mneimeh points out that "Trump obstructed reaching an agreement on immigration by influencing members of Congress because he wants this crisis to be his electoral slogan and does not wish to see Biden succeed in addressing it."
He adds, "On the ground, there is not a significant difference between Trump’s policies and Biden’s policies in addressing the immigration crisis. In both cases, there are shortcomings, but Trump is more adept at exploiting this issue to rally voters." Mneimeh notes that "immigration, along with economic issues, are typically major topics in presidential elections," indicating that "Trump has succeeded thus far in leveraging the immigration issue to his advantage, and if the economy declines in the coming months, I believe his chances will be strong for victory." He concludes, "Conversely, if the economy continues to improve, this will benefit Biden, indicating that the competition in the November election will be intense with Trump."
