Â鶹´«Ã½

World

    • Miles apart, Biden and Trump tour U.S.-Mexico border highlighting immigration as an election issue

    Share
    BROWNSVILLE, Texas -

    Three hundred miles apart, President Joe Biden and likely Republican challenger Donald Trump walked the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas Thursday, dueling trips underscoring how important immigration has become for the 2024 election and how much each man wants to use it to his advantage.

    Each chose an optimal location to make his points, their schedules remarkably similar. They each got a briefing on operations and issues, walked along the border and gave remarks that overlapped. But that's where the comparisons ended.

    Biden, who sought to spotlight how Republicans tanked a bipartisan border security deal on Trump's orders, went to the Rio Grande Valley city of Brownsville. For nine years, this was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings, but they have dropped sharply in recent months.

    The president walked a quiet stretch of the border along the Rio Grande, and received a lengthy operations briefing from Homeland Security agents who talked to him bluntly about what more they needed.

    “I want the American people to know what we're trying to get done," he said to officials there. "We can't afford not to do this."

    Trump, meanwhile, continued his dialed-up attacks on migrants arriving to the border, deriding them as “terrorists†and criminals after harnessing rhetoric once used by Adolf Hitler to argue migrants are poisoning the blood of America.

    “This is a Joe Biden invasion," Trump said.

    Trump was in Eagle Pass, roughly 325 miles northwest of Brownsville, in the corridor that's currently seeing the largest number of crossings. He went to a local park that has become a Republican symbol of defiance against the federal immigration enforcement practices it mocks.

    Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas National Guard soldiers gave him a tour, showing off razor wire they put up on Abbott's orders and in defiance of a U.S. Supreme Court order.

    “This is like a war,†Trump said.

    The number of people who are illegally crossing the U.S. border has been rising for years for complicated reasons that include climate change, war and unrest in other nations, the economy, and cartels that see migration as a cash cow.

    The administration’s approach has been to pair crackdowns at the border with increasing legal pathways for migrants designed to steer people into arriving by plane with sponsors, not illegally on foot to the border.

    Arrests for illegal crossings fell by half in January, but there were record highs in December. The numbers of migrants flowing across the U.S-Mexico border have far outpaced the capacity of an immigration system that has not been substantially updated in decades. Trump and Republicans claim Biden is refusing to act, but absent law change from Congress, any major policies are likely to be challenged or held up in court.

    Among those voters, worries about the nation’s broken immigration system are rising on both sides of the political divide, which could be especially problematic for Biden.

    According to an AP-NORC poll in January, the share of voters concerned about immigration rose to 35 per cent from 27 per cent last year. Fifty-five percent of Republicans say the government needs to focus on immigration in 2024, while 22 per cent of Democrats listed immigration as a priority. That’s up from 45 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, from December 2022.

    Trump landed to cheers from a crowd gathered at the small airport who held signs that read: “Trump 2024.†Some yelled, “Way to go, Trump.†He chatted with supporters for a few minutes before getting into his waiting SUV.

    From Air Force One, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas dismissed claims the president's visit was political, and noted how badly his department that manages the U.S.-Mexico border needed extra funding that would have been contained in the collapsed bill.

    “This visit is focused on the work that we do, not the rhetoric of others,†he said. “This is focused on operational needs, operational challenges and the significant impact that legislation would have in enhancing our border security.â€

    In a symbol of the political divide, the Republican-controlled House voted to impeach Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats say the charges amount to a policy dispute, not the “high crimes and misdemeanors†laid out as a bar for impeachment in the Constitution.

    Since the president was last at the border a year ago, the debate over immigration in Washington has shifted further to the right. Democrats have become increasingly eager to embrace border restrictions now that migrants are sleeping in police stations and airplane hangars in major cities.

    During bipartisan talks on an immigration deal that would have toughened access for migrants, Biden himself said he'd be willing to “shut down the border†right now, should the deal pass.

    The talks looked promising for a while. But Trump, who didn't want to give Biden a political win on one of his signature campaign issues, persuaded Republicans to kill the deal. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declared it dead on arrival.

    President Joe Biden meets with law enforcement officials in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

    Biden vowed to make sure everyone knew why.

    “Every day, between now and November, the American people are gonna know that the only reason the border is not secure is Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican friends,†Biden said this month, referring to the former president's Make America Great Again slogan.

    Trump was also to be interviewed by Fox News' Sean Hannity from Shelby Park, an expanse along the Rio Grande owned by the city of Eagle Pass.

    Trump has laid out updated immigration proposals that would mark a dramatic escalation of the approach he used in office and that drew alarms from civil rights activists and numerous court challenges.

    Some of those include reviving and expanding his controversial travel ban, imposing "ideological screening†for migrants, terminating all work permits and cutting off funding for shelter and transportation for people who are in the country illegally. Trump also is likely to bring up the killing of a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia. The suspect is a Venezuelan migrant.

    “Biden is preposterously trying to blame me and Congressional Republicans for the national security and public safety disaster he has created,†Trump wrote in an op-ed in the British newspaper The Daily Mail. “He created this catastrophe. "

    Associated Press writer Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas and Michelle Price in New York contributed to this report

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

    Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

    Canada

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

    • A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    • Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Max Pacioretty on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.

    • Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

    • Discounts abound at a new eatery in downtown Vancouver that offers pizzas and fry towers at a base price of $9.11, as a tribute to first responders.

    • Several hundred people gathered outside the Ontario legislature in Toronto to honour veterans and remember those who died fighting for their country.

    • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada’s largest city for a six-show run later this month.

    • A man believed to be in his 40s has been rushed to a trauma centre following a stabbing in downtown Toronto.

    • EXTENDED VIDEO

      EXTENDED VIDEO

      Calgarians observed Remembrance Day at a number of different ceremonies across the city on Monday, including at the Hangar Flight Museum.

    • A memorial walk was held Sunday afternoon by the Calgary branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to “honour the Canadian soldiers who died fighting for peace in the past and the Ukrainian soldiers who are giving their lives for freedom today,†according to a media release.

    • July 2025 may seem like it’s in the distant future, but for the St. Luke playground committee time is ticking to fundraise the $340,000 they still need to build a new playground.

    • Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    • Crowds gathered in Ottawa and eastern Ontario on Monday to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of Canada.

    • The company confirms it will open the new Chipotle at 5671 Hazeldean Road on Thursday, in the former location of Benny & Co.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Montreal on Monday to mark Remembrance Day and honour Canadians who sacrificed their lives in the great wars and beyond.

    • Private Martine Roy was only 20 years old in 1984 when she was arrested, interrogated and dismissed from the Canadian Armed Forces for being what was then termed a "sexual deviant."

    • Edmonton's Beverly Memorial Cenotaph on Monday hosted its 104th Remembrance Day service to honour past and present veterans.

    • Edmonton’s largest legion says it’s holding its own after struggling to stay open after the pandemic.

    • Thousands of Maritimers turned out in wet weather Monday to remember those who have served, and continue to serve, in Canada's armed forces for Remembrance Day.

    • A Cape Breton senior recalls her life in German-occupied France, and her mother’s death, during the Second World War.

    • Thousand of people gathered at the Menin Gate in the Ypres, Belgium for Monday’s Remembrance Day Ceremony.

    • Four teenagers have been arrested in connection with the attack and robbery of a 62-year-old woman.

    • A sacred fire burning in Winnipeg has brought healing and hope to some members of Xavia Skye Lynn Butler’s family.

    • A Manitoba-shot Christmas movie was on the nice list at the box office last weekend.

    • November 11th marks a solemn day across Canada, and Regina is no exception.

    • Fire crews reported that no one was hurt after flames broke out in a home on Robinson Street in central Regina.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book ‘War Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.’

    • A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

    • A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

    • Staff say future affordable housing projects in the Region of Waterloo could be very costly.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    • WATCH

      WATCH

      Men and women from Canadian Services, along with those who serve on local police forces marched up Dufferin Ave. toward the cenotaph on Monday morning.

    • Failing to comply with a property standards order issued by city hall could add almost $100,000 to the tax bill of a prominent eyesore in east London.

    • Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley expresses concerns about talk of tariffs and Great Lakes water diversion by president-elect Donald Trump.

    • A Barrie man is accused of being at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • An unseasonably mild fall in Simcoe County has put any hopes for an early start to the ski season on hold, still, one local resort has its sights set on the slopes.

    • Midland has become the latest among urban mayors to call on the province to enact a controversial clause to tackle the homeless crisis.

    • A local high school honoured veterans of the “Forgotten War†on Monday.

    • Upwards of 1000 handmade poppies are on display outside Lifetimes on Riverside Retirement home on Riverside Drive East, part of its fourth annual Poppy Project.

    • After a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) worker took their own life while on shift at the Ambassador Bridge Saturday, Â鶹´«Ã½ Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis highlighted the mental health burdens faced daily by law enforcement.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    • Police say that a 16-year-old was attacked with a sword Nov. 3 in Cobalt, Ont., in a case of intimate partner violence.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½