As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, immigration remains a central issue that reflects deep divisions over how the country should handle its borders, undocumented migrants and legal pathways to citizenship. The candidates, current Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, present drastically opposing visions for the future of immigration in the country.

Harris-Walz Policies: Restoring the System and Strengthening Families

Since taking office, current President Biden and current Vice President Kamala Harris have worked to reverse many of the policies implemented by the Trump administration, which they consider harmful to the immigration system. One of his priorities has been to keep families together, reversing family separation policies, reuniting more than 700 families separated under the previous administration, and protecting spouses and children of U.S. citizens.

Under Biden’s leadership, the administration has issued more than 500 executive actions, including more than 300 focused on undoing Trump-era immigration policies. Among its achievements is the expansion of legal pathways for more than 2 million immigrants, which has allowed workers and families to legally integrate into the country, also boosting the economy. In addition, the Biden-Harris administration has created policies to address the root causes of migration, focused on improving conditions in countries of origin such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, through humanitarian aid initiatives and international cooperation.

The administration has also worked to protect DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, implementing new policies that make it easier for Dreamers to access work visas and reducing wait times for their integration into the workforce.

Official position on immigration on the Kamala Harris campaign site:

Trump-Vance: Mass Deportations and Family Separation

On the other hand, the Trump campaign, in alliance with Senator J.D. Vance, proposes a much more restrictive and aggressive approach to immigration. Trump has promised mass deportations, using police and military forces to raid public places and workplaces, as well as building internment camps for undocumented immigrants. This strategy has been widely criticized for the negative impact it would have on families, communities, and the U.S. economy.

One of the most controversial issues of the Trump administration was the family separation policy, which resulted in the separation of nearly 4,000 children from their parents. Trump has left open the possibility of reinstating this policy if he is elected again, something that has generated fear among many immigrant communities in the United States.

In addition, Trump has promised to dismantle DACA, which could leave more than half a million young people without protection from deportation and without the possibility of working legally in the country. It also proposes ending temporary protection programs for refugees and those fleeing violence, which would affect millions of people.

Official Republican Party Platform on the Donald Trump campaign site:

“SEAL THE BORDER, AND STOP THE MIGRANT INVASION

Our Commitment:
Republicans offer an aggressive plan to stop the open-border policies that have opened the floodgates to a tidal wave of illegal aliens, deadly drugs, and migrant crime. We will end the invasion at the southern border, restore law and order, protect American sovereignty, and deliver a safe and prosperous future for all Americans.

1. Secure the Border
Republicans will restore every border policy of the Trump administration and halt all releases of illegal aliens into the interior. We will complete the border wall, shift massive portions of federal law enforcement to immigration enforcement, and use advanced technology to monitor and secure the border. We will use all resources needed to stop the invasion—including moving thousands of troops currently stationed overseas to our own southern border. We will deploy the U.S. Navy to impose a full fentanyl blockade on the waters of our region—boarding and inspecting ships to look for fentanyl and fentanyl precursors. Before we defend the borders of foreign countries, we must first secure the border of our country.

2. Enforce Immigration Laws
Republicans will strengthen ICE, increase penalties for illegal entry and overstaying visas, and reinstate “Remain in Mexico” and other policies that helped reduce illegal immigration to historic lows in President Trump’s first term. We will also invoke the Alien Enemies Act to remove all known or suspected gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members from the United States, ending the scourge of illegal alien gang violence once and for all. We will bring back the travel ban and use Title 42 to end the child trafficking crisis by returning all trafficked children to their families in their home countries immediately.

3. Begin Largest Deportation Program in American History
President Trump and Republicans will reverse the Democrats’ destructive open borders policies that have allowed criminal gangs and illegal aliens from around the world to roam the United States without consequences. The Republican Party is committed to sending illegal aliens back home and removing those who have violated our laws.

4. Strict Vetting
Republicans will use existing federal law to keep foreign Christian-hating Communists, Marxists, and Socialists out of America. Those who join our country must love our country. We will use extreme vetting to ensure that jihadists and jihadist sympathizers are not admitted.

5. Stop Sanctuary Cities
Republicans will cut federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions that release dangerous illegal alien criminals onto our streets, rather than handing them over to ICE. We will require local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

6. Ensure Our Legal Immigration System Puts American Workers First
Republicans will prioritize merit-based immigration, ensuring those admitted to our country contribute positively to our society and economy, and never become a drain on public resources. We will end chain migration and put American workers first!

Summary: Two opposing visions

Kamala Harris:

• He opposes many Trump-era immigration policies, but supports some Biden administration policies, including asylum restrictions for those who cross the border illegally.
• He supports a bipartisan proposal to increase border security and the number of asylum officers, and would close the border if crossings exceed certain thresholds.
• It maintains a stance of following and enforcing laws on illegal crossings, emphasizing the consequences.
• It supports Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and promotes permanent protections for Dreamers.
• It focuses on addressing the causes of migration in Latin America through private development funds.

Donald Trump:

• He plans to implement the “largest deportation operation in U.S. history,” including detaining undocumented immigrants in camps ahead of mass deportations.
• It proposes to revoke birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and give state police and the National Guard authority for immigration enforcement.
• He supports building more border wall infrastructure and deploying the military for immigration control.
• It supports harsher immigration measures, including the use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations without due process.
• It dehumanizes migrants, describing them as “poisoning the blood” of the country and calling some of them “animals.”