The leading presidential candidates hosted dueling events at the U.S.-Mexico border. President Biden was in Brownsville, Texas for his second border visit as president, while former President Donald Trump was in Eagle Pass, Texas. The reality is that one of these men looks as if they will be president for the next four years come January. So how do their records on border issues compare?

Brownsville

The recent events hosted by the leading presidential candidates President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump at the U.S.-Mexico border underscore the prominence of border issues in the current political discourse. President Biden made his visit to Brownsville, Texas, marking his second visit to the border area during his presidency. Simultaneously, former President Donald Trump was present in Eagle Pass, Texas, highlighting the competitive nature of their engagements.

The visits by both political figures to the U.S.-Mexico border come at a time when border issues remain a significant topic in the United States. With the reality that one of these men is likely to be president for the next four years starting January, their records on border issues are being closely scrutinized. The dueling events in Texas reflect their contrasting approaches and policies regarding border control and immigration.



Comparing Trump & Biden's record on border issues

The importance of border security in this year's election was on full display Thursday at the border in Brownsville, Texas, President Biden, his second visit to the border as president, some 320 miles away, former President Donald Trump in Eagle Pass, Texas. The reality is that one of these men looks as if they will be president for four years come January. So how do their records on the border compare? Well, under President Biden each year, there have been more and more border crossings. According to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, there are around 2.46 million encounters by border patrol agents in the southwest in fiscal year 2023. In 2022, there were 2.34 million encounters. In 2021, there were 1.7 million. Compare that to the four years of the Trump administration, and it is higher on average from fiscal year 2017 through 2020 when former President Trump was in office. Encounters averaged around 572,000 each year, although we should note COVID did impact that data. If you actually want to secure the border, it'll take an act of Congress. Whether it's Democratic governors like Jared Polis of Colorado or the top Republican in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson. You have to talk first about our open border. It seems like everybody in politics is talking about the border. But what can be done? Option number one, a bipartisan congressional deal. But the chances of that seem to be close to zero after former President Trump said a recent deal brokered between Democrats and Republicans wasn't strong enough. Option number two, Democrats could adopt Speaker Mike Johnson's more conservative bill in the House. It passed there last year, but Democrats in the Senate have already said that's too extreme. And then there's option number three, executive action. The White House is at least suggesting to reporters that that may be on the horizon. But there are legal questions. For instance, when former President Trump tried to limit border crossings while in office through executive order, he was sued and he lost in court. President Biden faces the same legal hurdles. With the polls showing the border as a top issue on more and more voters' minds, expect more regarding this issue from the leading candidates between now and the fall. Joe St. George, Scripps News, Washington.

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Kharkiv

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Pescara

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Shanghai

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Council of the City of Sydney

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Nairobi

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U.S. Presidential Election

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