Trump Opposes Bipartisan Border Deal Amid Election-Year Politics
Former President Donald Trump has come out against the bipartisan border deal unveiled in the Senate, despite its potential to bring significant changes to immigration law. The bill, which aims to raise standards for migrants seeking asylum and grant emergency authority to the Department of Homeland Security, has already faced opposition from Trump, making it less likely to pass in the House of Representatives. This opposition seems to be driven by election-year politics, as Trump sees immigration reform as a winning issue for him against President Joe Biden.
Trump’s argument against Biden’s handling of immigration has been bolstered by the high number of illegal border crossings. In December, U.S. Border Patrol arrested a record-breaking 249,785 individuals attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. This plays into Trump’s narrative that Biden is either incompetent or supports “open borders.” Anti-immigration sentiments have contributed to Trump’s support in the GOP primary, and it remains a potent issue against Biden as well.
Polls show that American adults trust Republicans more than Democrats in handling immigration, with a 12-point gap favoring the former. President Biden’s average approval rating on immigration and the southern border stands at a mere 29 percent, while his disapproval rating is at 63 percent. These ratings have remained consistently poor, even during periods of relatively low immigration levels. Despite high-profile criticism from Democratic officials, a majority of Democrats still approve of Biden’s handling of immigration.
However, a protracted border crisis could still benefit Trump politically. While Biden’s approval rating on immigration may not directly correlate with immigration levels, it could impact the importance of the issue in future elections. The number of people arrested by the Border Patrol coincides with the share of Americans who consider immigration the most important problem facing the country. As border arrests increased, so did the importance placed on immigration by the public.
It is worth noting that immigration is a top concern for Republicans, but less so for Democrats. In January, only 9 percent of Democrats identified immigration as the most important problem, compared to 37 percent of Republicans. However, 16 percent of independents also saw immigration as their primary concern. This highlights the significance of the border issue for Biden and Democrats, as they need to win over independent voters to secure victory in the upcoming elections.
Biden’s weak stance on immigration makes it a vulnerable issue for him, and Trump aims to capitalize on this vulnerability. If more voters base their decision on immigration, it could potentially sway the outcome in Trump’s favor, regardless of his overall popularity or flaws on other fronts.
In conclusion, the bipartisan border deal faces opposition from Trump due to election-year politics. The high number of illegal border crossings has played into Trump’s narrative against Biden’s handling of immigration. Polls indicate a lack of trust in Democrats’ ability to handle immigration, while Biden’s approval rating on the issue remains consistently low. The importance placed on immigration by the public correlates with the number of border arrests. As a result, Biden and Democrats are eager to solve the border issue to appeal to independent voters and prevent it from becoming a deciding factor in the upcoming elections.
