This is where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on immigration

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If you saw the one from September presidential debate between Kamala Harris And Donald TrumpYou probably remember the shocking moment when the Republican candidate accused Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, of eating the pets of good old, innocent Americans. The comment was so absurd – and factually incorrect– that it went viral as a now tragically hilarious TikTok sound (“They eat the cats. They eat the dogs”) for Gen Zers and millennials to dance to.

And while we all love comic relief, Trump’s untrue accusation was, at its core, very sincere, and goes a long way toward illustrating his position on immigration. The former president has long made it his “Make America Great Again” mission to keep immigrants out of the United States. During his first term, he famously insisted that he would build a wall along the southern border “and that Mexico would pay for it.” Nothing like that happened, but Trump hopes that if he is re-elected, he can continue that passion project.

Eagle Pass, Texas In an aerial view on December 19, thousands of immigrants, most wearing thermal blankets, await processing at a U.S. Border Patrol transit center in Eagle Pass, Texas, on December 19, 2023, large flows of migrants illegally crossing the Rio Grande have overwhelmed us border authorities in recent weeks photo by john mooregetty images — John Moore – Getty Images

Now facing Harris in the presidential race, the Republican has attacked the Democrat’s supposedly lenient border policy. While Harris agrees that illegal immigration must be stopped, she and Democrats hope to continue to focus on strengthening asylum laws for people who want to cross the border in hopes of finding a better life in the United States.

Immigration is one of the top issues in this year’s election, and both candidates have been doing their utmost to win over Arizona, the border state with a large number of Latino voters who could sway the election.

We break it down below where each candidate stands about the issue.

Kamala Harris

Democrats have taken a more humane approach to securing the border than Republicans, but Harris has noted that this in no way means she supports letting in criminals like Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, have proposed. The vice president has reminded the Republican Party that for years her job as California’s attorney general was to keep criminals off the streets and enforce the law, but that viewing all immigrants as criminals is a Republican issue.

“As California’s attorney general, I know what a crime looks like. Let me tell you, an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal.” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in 2017.

Chicago, September 16 Immigrants from 25 countries take part in a naturalization ceremony at Daley Plaza on September 16, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois Seventy people received their US citizenship during the Citizenship Day ceremony photo by Scott Olsongetty Images — Scott Olson – Getty Images

She has accused Trump of “fanning the flames of fear and division” by villainizing immigrants.

Instead of kicking out Dreamers and separating families at the border, Harris — the first Black or South Asian woman ever nominated for U.S. president — wants to find a solution for migrants.

El Paso, Texas May 12 Immigrants wait to be transported and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S. border with Mexico on May 12, 2023 in El Paso, Texas The U.S. Covid-era Title 42 immigration policy ended the night before, and migrants entered the It system is now concerned about the consequences of this change for their asylum applications. photo by john mooregetty images — John Moore – Getty Images

Under Joe Biden’s administration, in which Harris serves as vice president, illegal border crossings have declined dramatically thanks to the president’s asylum ban. Still, Harris supports comprehensive immigration reform and wants to strengthen protections for immigrants and asylum seekers. Harris also wants to create better pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and improve processes to help Dreamers obtain their citizenship. (A dreamer is an immigrant who was brought into the country illegally as a child, but has since come of age in the country and identifies as an American.)

“I reject the false choice that suggests we must choose between securing our border or creating an immigration system that is safe, orderly and humane,” Harris said earlier this year. “We can and must do both.”

In summary, Kamala Harris:

Believes in protecting immigrant communities.
Wants to reform our asylum system.
Wants to help migrants and dreamers obtain legal residency or citizenship status.
Doesn’t believe in kicking out Dreamers.
Does not support illegal border crossings.
Does not believe in separating families at the border.
Doesn’t believe immigrants are criminals.
Does not believe in releasing criminals regardless of citizenship or race.

Donald Trump

While Trump — who has continually questioned and mocked opponent Harris’ race during his 2024 campaign — insists he is not racist, the Republican candidate’s plans for a better America include supporting the wealthy upper class and expelling the migrants.

During his presidency, Trump launched a brutal “zero tolerance” policy that led to more than 2,000 children being separated from their parents at the southern border. This measure was widely criticized as inhumane, so much so that the government eventually put an end to it.

Tijuana, Mexico April 29 Members of a caravan of Central Americans who have been traveling through Mexico for weeks walk from Mexico to the U.S. side of the border to ask authorities for asylum on April 29, 2018 in Tijuana, Baja California Norte, Mexico over 300 immigrants, the remnants of a caravan of Central Americans who traveled through Mexico to seek asylum in the United States, have reached the border to seek legal entry. photo by david mcnewgetty images — David McNew – Getty Images

In outlining his priorities for 2025, Trump and his party have identified immigration as one of their top two concerns — the other being “skipping inflation.”

“Republicans are offering an aggressive plan to end the open-borders policy that has opened the floodgates to a flood of illegal aliens, deadly drugs and migrant crime,” the party said. states on its platform. “We will end the invasion at the southern border, restore law and order, protect American sovereignty, and achieve a safe and prosperous future for all Americans.”

In summary, Donald Trump:

Still want to build the wall.
Wants to deport migrants who have crossed the border illegally. (He and running mate Vance are unsure if this includes unaccompanied children.)
Wants to stop processing asylum applications, except for migrants following legal processes at specific ports of entry. (This could take months or years.)
Has pushed for a reduction in the legal immigration routes mentioned above.
Wants to “undo the Democrats’ open borders policy.”
A “zero tolerance” policy was adopted that separated thousands of families at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Wants to kick the Dreamers out.

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