U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump sparred Thursday night over immigration at the first of their presidential debates.
Trump criticized Biden over the number of migrants who have illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, including those who have committed crimes. Biden focused on the 40% drop in illegal migrant crossings since he issued an executive order aimed at reducing such crossings.
During the debate, Jake Tapper, one of CNN’s moderators, asked the candidates: "Why should voters trust you to solve this crisis?"
Biden said his administration has "worked hard" to change the situation at the border.
"We worked hard to get a bipartisan agreement that not only [would have] changed all of that. … I’ve changed it in the way that now you’re in a situation where there are 40% fewer people coming across the border illegally," he said.
Trump answered by faulting Biden for ending Title 42, a public health law that Trump used to quickly expel migrants to their country of origin or Mexican border towns during COVID-19 pandemic.
"He decided to open up our border, opening up our country to people who are from prisons, people that are from mental institutions," Trump said without offering evidence.
Tapper stayed on immigration, asking Trump if he would carry out his promise of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants if he wins a second term.
"Does that mean that you will deport every undocumented immigrant in America, including those who have jobs, including those whose spouses are citizens, and including those who have lived here for decades? And if so, how will you do it?" Tapper asked.
Trump did not answer the question; instead, he talked about terrorism and immigrant crime.
"And because of [Biden’s] ridiculous, insane and very stupid policies, people are coming in, and they're killing our citizens and at a level that we've never seen," Trump said.
Biden responded: "Every single thing he said is a lie."
Elizabeth Vaquera, an associate professor of sociology and public policy at The George Washington University, whose research focuses on vulnerable and diverse groups, told VOA mass deportation is not realistic.
"He talks about focusing on deporting millions and bringing the National Guard to do so using large-scale roundups and creating camps while people wait to be deported. I need to be clear: I don't think the United States has the capacity to do [it]," she said.
At the US-Mexico border
A day before the debate, Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, visited the Tucson border sector in southern Arizona for an update on border enforcement.
Republicans have often criticized Biden for being too lenient on border control, and the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border increased since he took office.
In June, after a bipartisan border bill failed in Congress, the president issued a long-awaited executive order aimed at reducing illegal border crossings.
Earlier this year, Trump urged congressional Republicans to reject the bipartisan border deal that would have imposed strict border controls, denying Democrats a significant legislative victory before the election.
After Biden’s executive order on asylum, unauthorized migrant crossings at the U.S. southern border have dropped more than 40%.
U.S. border agents said on Wednesday they’ve encountered fewer than 2,400 migrants daily, down from 3,800 at the beginning of June.
"We are imposing stricter consequences for those who cross the border without authorization. These actions are changing the calculus for those considering crossing our border. Still, as I will continue to make clear they are no substitute for congressional action," Mayorkas told reporters Wednesday.
This decrease marks the lowest level of illegal crossings since Biden took office. The Biden administration attributes the decline to a combination of tougher enforcement and expanded legal pathways for migrants.
Decrease in asylum claims
Additionally, the number of migrants allowed into the country with a notice to appear at an immigration court has dropped by 80%, according to immigration officials.
Although access to asylum has been restricted, the possibility of applying for it remains available, the administration says, but only by using the CBP One application to schedule an appointment at a port of entry.
A group of migrant advocates has sued the Biden administration to reverse the asylum restrictions.
Executive orders
Biden's asylum executive order uses the same section of federal law that Trump used during his presidency for measures like the so-called Muslim ban and efforts to ban asylum-seekers.
"These actions alone aren't going to fix our immigration system, but they can help us a good deal in better managing what is a difficult challenge," Biden said in his remarks at the White House on June 4.
After temporarily restricting asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border, Biden announced protections for undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens.
At the debate, Trump reiterated his claims about immigrants, labeling them criminals.
According to a Cato Institute study published June 26, undocumented immigrants were "26% less likely than native‐born Americans to be convicted of homicide, and legal immigrants were 61% less likely."
Biden responded during the debate by calling Trump's statements lies and "malarkey."
Trump portrayed the border as chaotic and uncontrolled, while Biden countered by pointing out that under Trump's administration, children were being separated from their families after crossing the border.
In recent years, attempts to modernize U.S. immigration law have been tried through a series of legislative efforts, but none has been successful. The most recent reform of U.S. immigration law took place almost 40 years ago.
