In what’s being dubbed as simultaneous border visits, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, considered the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, are scheduled to tour the southern border this Thursday.
These visits come in the wake of government reports indicating a surge in migrant crossings at both the southern and northern borders since President Biden assumed office.
Adding to the headlines this past week is the tragic account of a nursing student, Laken Riley, 22, who was fatally assaulted while jogging by an illegal immigrant. This individual had been released twice after committing crimes in the United States, a situation that critics attribute to lenient law enforcement and pro-immigration policies.
Trump squarely places the responsibility for this tragic loss on Biden’s immigration directives.
Trump just posted this on Truth Social
— Freedom 🇺🇸🦅 (@PU28453638) February 26, 2024
Crooked Joe Biden’s Border INVASION is destroying our country and killing our citizens! pic.twitter.com/iK4BrpT5pp
Biden is set to visit Brownsville, Texas, where he will engage with U.S. Border Patrol agents, a significant number of whom have voiced criticism against DHS policies that they believe compromise their ability to effectively secure the border.
Notably, Biden’s recent visit to East Palestine, Ohio, was met with jeers, profanities, and a multitude of pro-Trump banners.
Meanwhile, Trump is scheduled to visit Eagle Pass, a focal point for the surge of illegal immigrants entering Texas and the battleground for a legal dispute between Governor Abbott and state leaders against federal officials.
The Biden administration has taken legal measures to block Texas officials from implementing border crossing deterrents. While the U.S. Supreme Court granted the administration a partial victory, allowing federal officials to remove barriers like razor wire, it also permitted Texas officials to install deterrents.
Twenty-six state governors have pledged their support to Texas, with some offering to deploy National Guard troops and provide razor wire as needed. Despite threats from the Biden administration to compel Texas to comply and remove deterrents, no action has been taken yet.
Many observers fear that such a move could have damaging consequences for Democrats just ahead of a crucial election cycle.
White House officials have indicated that during Thursday’s visit, President Biden will emphasize the need for Congressional Republicans to prioritize funding for additional U.S. Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, fentanyl detection technology, and other resources.
However, many Republican officials argue that the President has the authority to implement measures to curb illegal immigration without requiring additional funding or congressional approval.
Furthermore, numerous Republicans allege that President Biden has deliberately engineered the border crisis. The White House refutes these allegations, instead placing blame on Republicans.
She says Biden took Border Security so serious that one of the first things he did in Office, was put through legislation on immigration reform.
— ✞🌸TrumpGirlOnFire 🔥 (@TrumpGirlOnFire) February 26, 2024
But what she NEGLECTED TO SAY, was that he rolled back all of President Trumps working policies on the Border!#TrumpGirlOnFire 🔥… pic.twitter.com/FYY40S5TCD
Biden’s upcoming visit on Thursday will be his second journey to the border.
According to political analysts, immigration-related matters are poised to be the primary concern for voters in the November 2024 election.
