Trump's Visit to US-Mexico Border Amid Heightened Attacks on Immigration

Former President Donald Trump has plans to deliver a speech this Sunday in Texas, close to the US-Mexico border, where he will intensify his anti-immigrant rhetoric and advocate for strict immigration policies. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is likely to endorse Trump's candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, will join him at the event. Referred to as an official state visit, the purpose of the trip is to address strategies for addressing illegal immigration.

Trump has intensified his campaign rhetoric, pledging to carry out the "most extensive operation to deport individuals within the country" in American history if he is elected President next year. His comments, reminiscent of White supremacist rhetoric, portray undocumented immigrants as a threat to the nation, equating them to the fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter. During a recent rally in Hialeah, Florida, Trump, whose 2024 campaign focuses on limiting illegal immigration, declared, "There has never been anything like this. Our country is under invasion."

Donald Trump rallies with supporters at a "commit to caucus" event at the National Cattle Congress event space in Waterloo, Iowa, on October 7, 2023.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

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If reelected, Trump plans to expand his strict immigration policies, targeting both legal and illegal immigration. One of his proposals involves detaining undocumented immigrants in large camps until they can be deported, which would require the assistance of federal and local law enforcement for widespread arrests. A spokesperson for the Trump campaign emphasized the importance of securing the southern border, stopping illegal immigration, and removing those who should not have entered the country.

The ex-president is using the Israel-Hamas conflict to fuel apprehension and prejudice against immigrants in the United States, in order to promote stricter immigration policies. He has been advocating for the implementation of "ideological screenings" for immigrants, preventing individuals from predominantly Muslim nations from entering the country as refugees or immigrants, and deporting individuals with alleged "jihadist sympathies" who are in the US on visas.