LAS VEGAS, United States: Donald Trump Saturday showed his opposition to a bipartisan immigration plan that President Joe Biden has promised to use to “shut down” the Mexico border if it becomes overwhelmed, while at the same time criticizing the Democrat for “open borders.”
With immigration one of the hottest election issues in what is increasingly looking like a Trump-Biden rematch for the White House this year, the fate of the bill being debated by the Senate has become a very important battleground.
Biden, right on the issue, pounced on the proposed bill on Friday, insisting it would usher in the “toughest” set of border reforms.
“It would give me, as president, new emergency authority to close the border when it becomes overwhelmed. And if I were given that authority, I would use it the day I sign it into law,” he said in a statement.
In his bid to recapture the White House, Trump has brought immigration to the fore, issued dire warnings about the porous nature of the border, and pushed hard against Republicans backing the Senate plan.
Trump on Saturday in a campaign speech in Las Vegas said, “The border is in play (politically) like it’s never been in play before.”
After Trump’s extensive lobbying, speaker of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, said in an open letter on Friday that any such bill passed by the Senate would be “dead in the water” and would never pass the House.
“They’re blaming it on me, I said, ‘That’s OK, blame it on me, please,'” Trump said Saturday. “I’d rather have no account than a bad account.”
As Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the federal government clash over control of the border, Trump said he would give the state his “full support” and “deploy whatever military and law enforcement resources are necessary to seal the last part of the border.” .”
Following his often dark rhetoric on immigration, the former president said there is a “100 percent chance of a major terrorist attack in the United States” by people crossing the border.
“We will begin the largest domestic deportation operation in America,” he said, as the oft-repeated campaign pledge brought cheers from the audience.
The deal being negotiated in Congress has high stakes, and not just for the presidential candidates.
In addition to addressing American concerns about the huge influx of migrants coming through Mexico, it would provide crucial military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.
A bilateral deal tying aid to Kiev, a Biden priority, with money for border security, as Republicans have demanded, appeared to be in the cards just days ago.
White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton Thursday said the Biden administration has worked in “good faith” with Republicans to reach an agreement and hopes they will “stay at the table so we can get it done.”
