President Biden’s border visit to Brownsville, Texas, is causing quite a stir, as he was in the same state as former President Donald Trump, who was visiting Eagle Pass, Texas, just a few hundred miles away.
The stark contrast between the two visits is emblematic of the political moment, with Biden pushing for a bipartisan border security deal while Trump focuses on highlighting the dangers of illegal immigration.
While in Brownsville, Biden is set to meet with border patrol agents, law enforcement officials, and local leaders. He praised their efforts in securing the border but noted that they urgently need more resources. In his remarks, he called on Congress to pass the bipartisan border security deal that was rejected by Republicans earlier this month, after Trump voiced opposition to it.
But the former president, who is the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination, is not staying silent. In his visit to Eagle Pass, Trump met with Texas officials, including Governor Greg Abbott, and is using the occasion to criticize Biden’s handling of the border.
In a press conference, Trump claimed that the U.S. is “being overrun by the Biden migrant crime” and listed off a series of crimes allegedly committed by migrants. He specifically highlighted the murder of University of Georgia student Laken Riley, who was killed by an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela.
Trump called out Biden for releasing “monster illegal alien migrants” into the country and accused Democrats of playing politics with the border crisis.
What’s happening here? 😬 pic.twitter.com/FCDWUHHdvi
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 29, 2024
The timing of these border visits is no coincidence. With the State of the Union address approaching on March 7, Biden is attempting to show that he is taking action on the border issue. However, many Republicans argue that the president’s policies have caused the surge in illegal immigration.
In a rare move, House Republicans even voted to impeach Biden’s chief border official, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, earlier this month. The GOP has repeatedly called on Biden to take executive action on immigration and has criticized his administration for failing to secure the border.
BIDEN: “How many more of these, these, uh… big things we talkin’ about?” pic.twitter.com/miVvLNTEvj
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 29, 2024
But Democrats are trying to turn the tables on Republicans. They point to the rejected bipartisan border security deal as proof that the GOP is more interested in using the border as a political weapon than finding a real solution to the crisis.
The fact that Biden and Trump are both visiting Texas at the same time only adds to the political theater surrounding the border issue. As the country awaits the president’s border visit, which will mark his first since Jan. 2023, all eyes will be on the southern border and the actions and statements of both leaders.
