By WILL WEISSERT and JILL COLVIN (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The video shared by former President Donald Trump features scary movie music and footage of migrants supposedly entering the U.S. from countries like Cameroon, Afghanistan and China. Shots of men with tattoos and videos of violent crime are shown alongside close-ups of people waving and wrapping themselves in American flags.
“They’re coming by the thousands,” Trump says in the video, posted on his social media site. “We will secure our borders. And we will restore sovereignty.”
In his speeches and online posts, Trump has escalated anti-immigrant language as he aims for the White House for a third time, portraying migrants as dangerous criminals “poisoning the blood” of America. Touching on the nation’s deepest divisions of race and national identity, his messaging often relies on false claims about migration. But it resonates with many of his loyal supporters going back a decade, to when “build the wall” chants started at his rallies. President Joe Biden and his allies talk about the border in a different way. The Democrat depicts the situation as a policy disagreement that Congress can solve and criticizes Republicans in Washington for backing away from aborder security agreement
after facing criticism from Trump. But in a potentially concerning sign for Biden, Trump’s message seems to be connecting with key parts of the Democratic coalition that Biden will need to win over this November. About two-thirds of Americans now disapprove of how Biden is handling border security, including around 4 in 10 Democrats, 55% of Black adults and 73% of Hispanic adults, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research
survey conducted in March
latest Pew Research Center poll found that 45% of Americans described the situation as a crisis, while another 32% said it was a major problem..
A Vetress Boyce, a Chicago-based racial justice activist, was among those who expressed frustration with Biden’s immigration policies and the city’s approach as it tries to shelter newly arriving migrants. She argued Democrats should be focusing on economic investment in Black communities, not newcomers. “They’re sending us people who are starving, the same way Blacks are starving in this country. They’re sending us people who want to escape the conditions and come here for a better lifestyle when the ones here are suffering and have been suffering for over 100 years,” Boyce said. “That recipe is a mixture for disaster. It’s a disaster just waiting to happen.”
Gracie Martinez is a 52-year-old Hispanic small business owner from Eagle Pass, Texas, the border town that Trump visited in February when he and Biden made same-day
trips to the state
. Martinez said she once voted for former President Barack Obama and is still a Democrat, but now supports Trump — mainly because of the border. FILE – Migrants wait to be processed by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol after they crossed the Rio Grande and entered the U.S. from Mexico, Oct. 19, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric appears to be making inroads even among some Democrats, a worrying sign for President Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)She expressed her dismay, stating it's a terrible situation with many people receiving medical aid, money, and phones, while those who followed the legal immigration process are treated poorly.
Hesles expressed concern about not knowing where the individuals are hiding or where they have infiltrated, expressing worry about their emergence. She mentioned discontinuing her evening walks to a local church after a distressing encounter with a group of men she claimed were migrants.
Immigration is likely to be a major issue in the November election, with both sides spending the next six months attempting to portray the other as incorrect on border security.
The president's reelection campaign recently initiated a $30 million advertising campaign targeting Latino audiences in crucial swing states, which includes a digital ad in English and Spanish highlighting Trump's previous portrayal of Mexican immigrants as 'criminals' and 'rapists.'
The White House has also considered a series of executive actions that could significantly tighten immigration restrictions, effectively bypassing Congress after it failed to pass the bipartisan deal endorsed by Biden.
Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz stated, 'Trump is a deceitful person who only looks out for himself. We will ensure that voters are aware of this in November.'
Trump is scheduled to campaign in Wisconsin and Michigan this week, where he is anticipated to once again criticize Biden on immigration. His campaign stated that his event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will focus on what they allege to be 'Biden's Border Bloodbath.'
The former president refers to recent record-high arrests for southwest border crossings as an 'invasion' orchestrated by Democrats to transform America's very makeup. Trump accuses Biden of purposely allowing criminals and potential terrorists to enter the country unchecked, going as far as to claim the president is engaged in a 'conspiracy to overthrow the United States of America.'
There is no evidence to support Trump's claims that foreign governments are releasing prisoners or individuals from mental asylums. Additionally, while conservative news coverage has been dominated by several high-profile crimes allegedly committed by individuals in the country illegally, the latest FBI statistics show an overall decrease in violent crime in the U.S., continuing a downward trend after a pandemic-era surge.
Investigations have also discovered that individuals living in the country illegally are much less likely than native-born Americans to have been arrested for violent, drug, and property crimes. Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of the immigrant resettlement group Global Refuge and a former Obama administration and State Department official, mentioned that the last few months have clearly shown a shift in political support. She mentioned that the current situation is connected to the language used in the past few years and the challenge of being overshadowed by loud, extreme, and xenophobic language that hasn't been countered with reality and facts on the ground. The impact of the border is being felt far from the border, which has made it a significant issue. Supporters of Trump, especially Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have used state-funded buses to transport over 100,000 migrants to cities led by Democrats like New York, Denver, and Chicago, where the Democrats will hold their summer convention. Although the program was initially seen as a publicity stunt, the sudden increase has strained city budgets and left local leaders struggling to provide emergency housing and medical care for the new groups of migrants.
Local news coverage has often been negative, with migrants being blamed for various issues such as gang-related robberies in New Jersey, burglary rings targeting retail stores in suburban Philadelphia, and measles cases in parts of Arizona and Illinois. Abbott has sent the Texas National Guard to the border, installed sharp-edged wire along parts of the Rio Grande in defiance of U.S. Supreme Court orders, and argued that his state should be allowed to enforce its own immigration laws. Certain far-right internet sites have started pointing to Abbott's actions as the first step in an upcoming civil conflict. Additionally, Russia has also contributed to spreading and intensifying misleading and inflammatory content about U.S. immigration and border security as part of its broader efforts to polarize Americans.
Russia has also contributed to spreading and increasing misleading and inflammatory content about U.S. immigration and border security as part of its broader efforts to polarize Americans. A recent analysis by the firm Logically, which tracks Russian disinformation, found online influencers and social media accounts linked to the Kremlin have seized on the idea of a new civil war and efforts by states like Texas to secede from the union. Amy Cooter, who oversees research at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, is concerned that the current talk of civil war will only escalate as the election approaches. So far, it has mainly been limited to far-right message boards. However, the concern surrounding immigration is intense enough to amplify its political influence, Cooter remarked. According to her, even non-extremist Americans are concerned about this. It's related to culture and perceptions about who is considered American.Meanwhile, individuals like Rudy Menchaca, a bar owner in Eagle Pass who also works for a company importing Corona beer from Mexico, attributed the border problems to the negative impact on his business.
Menchaca, a Hispanic voter that Biden hopes will support his reelection, indicated his disapproval of Trump's language and portrayal of Hispanics and Mexicans. He stated, “We’re not all like that.” However, he also mentioned that he was starting to consider supporting the former president due to the actual situation on the ground.
Menchaca expressed his need for the Texas forces deployed to the border, saying, “I need those soldiers to be around if I have my business. The bad ones that come in could break in.”
Donald Trump has been intensifying his anti-immigrant language, often relying on false information about migration.
Part of what has made the border such a salient issue is that its impact is being felt far from the border.
Trump allies, most notably Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, have used state-funded buses to send more than 100,000 migrants to Democratic-led cities like New York, Denver and Chicago, where Democrats will hold this summer’s convention. While the program was initially dismissed as a publicity stunt, the influx has strained city budgets and left local leaders scrambling to provide emergency housing and medical care for new groups of migrants.
Local news coverage, meanwhile, has often been negative. Viewers have seen migrants blamed for everything from a string of gang-related New Jersey robberies to burglary rings targeting retail stores in suburban Philadelphia to measles cases in parts of Arizona and Illinois.
Abbott has deployed the Texas National Guard to the border, placed concertina wire along parts of the Rio Grande in defiance of U.S. Supreme Court orders, and has argued his state should be able to enforce its own immigration laws.
Some far-right internet sites have begun pointing to Abbott’s actions as the first salvo in a coming civil war. And Russia has also helped spread and amplify misleading and incendiary content about U.S. immigration and border security as part of its broader efforts to polarize Americans. A recent analysis by the firm Logically, which tracks Russian disinformation, found online influencers and social media accounts linked to the Kremlin have seized on the idea of a new civil war and efforts by states like Texas to secede from the union.
Amy Cooter, who directs research at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, worries the current wave of civil war talk will only increase as the election nears. So far, it has generally been limited to far-right message boards. But immigration is enough of a concern generally that its political potency is intensified, Cooter said.
“Non-extremist Americans are worried about this, too,” she said. “It’s about culture and perceptions about who is an American.”
In the meantime, there are people like Rudy Menchaca, an Eagle Pass bar owner who also works for a company that imports Corona beer from Mexico and blamed the problems at the border for hurting business.
Menchaca is the kind of Hispanic voter Biden is counting on to back his reelection bid. The 27-year-old said he was never a fan of Trump’s rhetoric and how he portrayed Hispanics and Mexicans. “We’re not all like that,” he said.
But he also said he was warming to the idea of backing the former president because of the reality on the ground.
“I need those soldiers to be around if I have my business,” Menchaca said of Texas forces dispatched to the border. “The bad ones that come in could break in.”
