Trump criticizes Harris over border security in speech in Texas

AUSTIN – Former President Donald Trump took advantage of a mid-early voting freeze in Texas on Friday to drive home his campaign’s message on border security, said his Democratic opponent, vice president Kamala Harris has “innocent blood on its hands” for crimes committed by unauthorized migrants, reinforcing its commitment to mass deportation.

“Immediately after I take the oath of office, I will launch the largest mass deportation program in American history,” Trump told a cheering crowd of about 100 supporters at the invitation-only rally in a private jet hangar in East Austin. “I will arrest any migrant operating on American soil.” The plan could cost billions, USA TODAY reports.

Flanked by Border Patrol agents and standing between signs reading “DEPORT ILLEGALS NOW” and “END MIGRANT CRIME,” Trump introduced Alexis Nungaraywhose daughter, Jocelyn, was found dead in a Houston bayou in June. Two Undocumented Venezuelan citizens have been charged with murder and assault in her case.

“Kamala Harris never contacted me, she never expressed her condolences,” Nungaray said, saying the Biden administration’s “open border” policy caused her daughter’s death. While unauthorized migrant crossings occurred during both the Trump and Biden administrations, the Department of Homeland Security under Biden has adopted a catch-and-release policy, allowing migrants to wait for asylum hearings in the country rather than having them to be held in detention.

Nungaray was one of several speakers who criticized Harris for immigration policies and his infrequent visits to border regions.

More: Election 2024 Live Updates: Eyes on Texas as Trump Makes Pit Stop in Austin; Harris in Houston

About 160 miles east, Texans gathered outside Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium on Friday afternoon for a star-studded rally hosted by Harris on her presidential campaign’s big reproductive rights issue.

The event would feature U.S. Rep. Colin Allreda Democratic congressman from Dallas who is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, and would include appearances by BeyonceWillie Nelson and DJ Tryfe.

Cruz, who joined Trump at his rally in Austin on Friday afternoon, ridiculed Allred for his appearance with Harris.

“If you like Kamala Harris’ open borders, if you like Kamala Harris’ inflation, if you like Kamala Harris letting criminals out of jail and the crime that comes with it, then Colin Allred is your guy , because Colin Allred is Kamala Harris. ” Cruz said in response to a question from reporters.

During his roughly 40-minute speech, Trump touted his support for the National Border Patrol Council, the union for border patrol agents. He also repeated unsubstantiated claims that other countries’ mental institutions and prisons are being “emptied” by immigration to the US.

“It’s like a garbage can for most of the world; they dump the people they don’t want,” Trump said. “If we don’t win this year, we’re going to go to Venezuela, Ted, and we’re going to celebrate there, because it will be much safer than our country.”

Studies have shown this historically Migrants commit crimes at lower rates than American citizens. However, those who support Trump’s goal of deporting all illegal immigrants have said one crime is too many.

Trump made no mention of his plan to prevent federal agencies from automatically granting citizenship to children born in the United States to undocumented parents. according to his agendaviolates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Harris has criticized Trump for ordering Republicans in Congress to launch an attack bipartisan border billwhich ultimately failed after the former president said he would run for president Joe Biden‘s government a policy victory. The bill would have given presidents more authority to refuse migrants during periods of high traffic, tightened restrictions on asylum and allocated more resources to Customs and Border Patrol agents and inspection checkpoints.

Many Republicans, including Cruz, said they believed the bill was too lenient and that the Biden administration should have found a way to close the border without congressional action.

An enthusiastic audience

Trump gave shoutouts to several Texas GOP officials and Republican activists who attended the event, including his allies Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, as well as Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Chairman Abraham George of the Republican Party of Texas.

“When you go after people with bull—-, they become very popular,” Trump said of Paxton’s impeachment.

Among the less expected guests was the family of Vanessa Guillen, a soldier who was killed at Fort Cavazos (then Fort Hood) in 2020. Guillen’s sister criticized a report from the Atlantic Ocean this week the so-called Trump said, “It doesn’t cost $60,000 to bury a damn Mexican!” and refused to pay for a funeral for which he promised to foot the bill.

Many rallygoers wore their support in markings ranging from subtle to ostentatious. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham wore a blue dress and heels with a pattern of glittering American flags; another attendee wore white sneakers with “45” embossed in gold. Red “Make America Great Again” hats were in abundance among audiences from 2016 to 2024.

Several of these protesters are active in Republican Party chapters in and around Austin, and several told the American Statesman of their hopes that Trump will mend political divisions.

Abhiram Garapati, a Cedar Park rancher who is planning a future run for Congress, brought a felt cowboy hat emblazoned with “Donald J. Trump” to present to the former president at the meeting.

Garapati, an immigrant from India who said he “came here 25 years ago with nothing,” said he wholeheartedly supports Trump.

“There is absolutely no vision among the current politicians,” he said. “Nobody says, ‘Let’s send a man to the moon.’ We have lost that kind of politician who has a vision for the country, who wants to unite the country and set some high goals for the country. That’s why I’m here.” Garapati also cited concerns about inflation, crime and immigration as reasons he is voting for the former president.

The farmer took a different tone about Cruz.

‘I don’t know why he has so many people against him. As a politician he has to work on that,” he said. One issue he believes Cruz should compromise on is abortion rights.

“I hope (both sides) can reach a mutual compromise so that the country can move on and stop fighting over it,” he said.

Also fresh in the minds of those in attendance was the Butler, Pa., rally Trump was almost killed. Some rallygoers wore shirts showing the former president with his fist raised after a bullet pierced his earlobe.

Austin Young Republican member Benjamin Shrader, who sat in front of Trump at the rally, said he heard a bullet hit Corey Comperatore about 10 feet behind him.

“I’m glad he’s alive,” he said of Trump. “I abhor violence. I think violence, on any side, is terrible for the country; it is very dangerous.”

Trump goes to podcast recording

After the rally, Trump’s motorcade headed west to tape an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experiencepodcast at Rogan’s studio in Austin. Trump’s campaign is likely betting that his appearance on the show, which is hugely popular among conservative-leaning American men, could boost voter turnout, Agriculture Commissioner Miller told reporters .

The trip to a non-battleground state for the shot is a sign of the shift in the media landscape, one of Trump’s comments pointed out.

“Fake news people, we have a lot of them,” he said of reporters after calling Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg a “sleazebag.” “These are bad people, they are a threat to democracy.”

Harris fans prepare for the rally in Houston

Meanwhile, in Houston, hours before the start of Harris’ rally, the line to see the Democratic nominee snaked thousands deep around Shell Energy Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo FC, the city’s Major League Soccer team.

In the shade of a stand of myrtles along the west wall of the arena sat cousins Jacqueline Sevier and Tracey Mason-Moore.

As black women coming of age in the 1980s, Mason-Moore and Sevier never even dreamed that they would be able to vote for a woman of color in the presidential election. They are now in their sixties.

“This will go down in history,” Mason-Moore said.

Both said abortion rights were at the top of their priorities going into the election.

“What about someone who is abused or raped?” Mason-Moore said The near-total abortion ban in Texas.

Sevier intervened and said, “Especially when it’s a matter of life and death.”

Asked if pop superstar Beyoncé’s expected appearance played a role in their decision to wait in what had quickly become a very long line.

“I’m here for Harris, and that’s it,” Sevier said. “I’m too old to care about Beyoncé.”

In Houston on Friday, Harris criticized Trump’s statement calling the United States the “….” the “garbage bin” of the world accuses the former president of defaming the American people.

“This is someone who is a former president of the United States, who has a pulpit,” Harris told reporters before the meeting. “And this is how he uses it? To tell the world that the United States of America is somehow trash?”

Statesman staff writer John Moritz and USA TODAY staff writer Joey Garrison contributed reporting.