How Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Are Talking About Immigration

With less than three months before the presidential election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have described contrasting plans for dealing with immigration and border security.

During the Democratic National Convention, Harris, the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, called for comprehensive immigration reform that include securing the border and ensuring an earned pathway to citizenship.

“I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system,” Harris said as she accepted her nomination Thursday.

Along the campaign trail and at the RNC, Trump has pledged to mount the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. In his RNC speech, he falsely claimed migrants were “coming from prisons, they’re coming from jails, they’re coming from mental institutions and insane asylums” 

Across party lines, registered voters have listed immigration as a priority. 

According to the Pew Research Center, 59% of registered voters say that undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay. That number varied widely depending on which candidate voters favored. The survey was released before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris.

Borderless breaks down how each candidate is talking about immigration on the campaign trail.

Harris calls for ‘comprehensive reform’

Harris has yet to outline a policy plan on her website, but at the Democratic National Convention and on the campaign trail, she acknowledged the country’s immigration system was “broken.”

“We know what it takes to fix it,” Harris told a crowd during a recent rally in Arizona.  “Comprehensive reform that includes strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship.”

Along the campaign trail, she’s criticized the former president for having no interest in fixing the immigration system. “He talks a big game about border security, but he does not walk the walk,” she said during a recent rally. “Earlier this year, we had a chance to pass the toughest border security deal in decades, but Donald Trump tanked the deal because he thought by doing that it would help him win an election. But when I am president, I will sign the bill.”

Ahead of the convention, the Democratic National Committee approved a platform that calls for building a “21st-century immigration” system that included robust border security and expanding protections for Dreamers and foreign-born parents of citizens. 

In his torch-passing DNC address, Biden told attendees that he and Harris were “committed to strengthening legal immigration, including protecting Dreamers and more.”

The address came as his administration launched a new program dubbed  “Parole in Place.” The initiative protects undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, allowing eligible noncitizens to remain with their families as their permanent residency is being assessed.

“Unlike Trump, we will not demonize immigrants, saying they are “poisoning the blood of America” or “poisoning the blood of our country,” Biden said.

In his speech, Biden noted a drop in border arrests since an executive order restricted asylum seekers from entering the country. He criticized Trump, saying the former president continued to “lie about the border.”  

President Biden and Harris have faced a barrage of criticism on both sides of the aisle for their handling of immigration issues. Biden promised to take a more compassionate approach to immigration but instead adopted Trump-era border policies. Harris, tasked by Biden with dealing with the root cause of migration from Central America, has been blamed for not stopping asylum seekers from coming into the U.S. 

Harris has faced questions about her specific strategies to address immigration concerns or a tentative road map for comprehensive reform. Still, some democrats remain confident that Harris will fight to pass comprehensive immigration reform if she wins the election. 

Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez told DNC delegates in the Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday that Harris will not only challenge disparaging narratives about immigrants but also actively reframe immigration as a solution for economic concerns. 

“When we pass immigration reform…it is good for the economy…[Harris] is going to be able to talk about immigration as a solution to our social security, our Medicare, to grow our GDP. So I’m being very hopeful, and I am ready to say, ‘Madam President, let’s get it done!’” Ramirez said. 

Teresa Romero, president of the United Farm Workers, said that Harris’ track record with undocumented farm workers proves she understands how essential migrants are for national food security. 

“I like to say ‘show don’t tell.’ [Harris] has shown that she hears us. She has marched with farm workers. She has been to our convention. She has been vocal on the legislation that we want to pass,” Romero said. “She understands the importance of the work they do.”

Trump calls for mass deportation, revoking birthright citizenship in second-term 

Trump has doubled down on anti-immigrant rhetoric that was a centerpiece of his first term. 

Throughout the campaign trail, Trump has vowed to clamp down on immigration enforcement, calling for the largest deportation operation in the history of the country. His mass deportation strategy includes recruiting local law enforcement officers to assist with identifying and deporting millions of undocumented migrants. 

Trump has also pledged to “seal” the U.S. borders to stop the “migrant crime epidemic” by finishing the border wall. His plan also would require voters to provide proof of citizenship for same-day elections, according to the Trump-Vance official website. Additionally, Trump has threatened to revoke birthright citizenship for children of unauthorized immigrants at numerous campaign rallies. 

In his first term, Trump implemented a controversial Muslim Travel ban, denied visas for foreign-born workers to enter the U.S., and slashed refugee admissions by 86%.

During the Republican National Convention, Trump’s hardline policies on immigration took center stage. Republicans criticized how the Biden administration handled surging migration rates at the southern border.

RNC delegates held signs stating “mass deportation now” while chanting “build the wall” and “law and order” as speakers repeated violent anti-immigrant rhetoric, blaming undocumented people for drug overdose deaths and human trafficking in border states. 

Researchers have debunked the claims made by Trump, his allies and right-wing media outlets.

Undocumented immigrants do not increase crime, while another study found noncitizens to have less interaction with law enforcement agencies. Drexel University researchers also found sanctuary policies had no impact on crime rates. 

Advocates have pushed back against fear-mongering that immigrants are to blame for crime. 

“Immigrants, when they come here, they want to get some type of legalization,” explained Angel Escobar, an immigrant organizer at a DNC protest who works with undocumented families. “The thing is that nobody within that pathway wants to become a criminal because if you do that takes away all your opportunities to become a resident.”