5:10 p.m. ET, February 29, 2024
Trump stokes fears about migrants and crime during border visit
Go Nakamura/Reuters
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday stoked fears about migrants coming into the United States as railed against President Joe Biden and his border policies as he stood feet from the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas.
“These are the people that are coming into our country, and they’re coming from jails and they’re coming from prisons and they’re coming from mental institution and they’re coming from insane asylums and they’re terrorists. They’re being led into our country. And it’s horrible,” Trump said as he repeated the typical anti-immigrant rhetoric he uses on the campaign trail.
The former president praised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has tried to implement a new controversial security initiative. The US Supreme Court recently allowed US Border Patrol agents to remove razor wire deployed by Abbott’s initiative at the US-Mexico border while the state’s legal challenge to the practice plays out.
Trump’s trip to the border comes not long after Trump torpedoed a bipartisan border bill so he could continue campaigning on Biden’s perceived weakness on the border.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.