In a near 300-mile political standoff, President Joe Biden landed in Brownsville, Texas, Thursday to discuss the state of the border with Texas leaders, U.S. Border Patrol agents and law enforcement while former President Donald Trump is in Eagle Pass, Texas, meeting with Texas officials including Gov. Greg Abbott.
The dueling visits come as Super Tuesday primaries are around the corner.
The state of the southern border has become a heavily publicized political issue in the past few years, as the nation faces record-breaking numbers of migrants crossing into the country illegally.
“The United States had some 10.2 million illegal immigrants in 2020, and another 10 million have entered during Biden’s presidency,” according to The Hill. “If the 20 million illegal immigrants were all in one state, it would be tied with New York for the fourth most populated state.”
Biden in Brownsville
When asked why Biden was going to Brownsville specifically, White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said, “He wanted to show that it was important for him to go down there to hear from Border Patrol agents, to hear from first responders on what’s going on on the ground,” she reported in a White House press briefing.
After viewing the situation at the border, Biden made remarks to a crowd, calling on lawmakers to reconsider the $118 billion border and foreign aid bill that was denied earlier this month in the Senate.
After saying the border deal was the result of bipartisan negotiations, Biden said it was killed by “partisan politics,” per CNN. He said “The U.S. Senate needs to reconsider this bill and those senators who oppose it need to set politics aside and pass it on the merits not on whether it’s going to benefit one party or benefit the other party.”
At a press conference Thursday morning, Utah Rep. Blake Moore said the border crisis is the biggest issue for the American people at this time.
“Given the devastating crisis that has unfolded at our borders,” the president should have been to the border more than twice by now, Moore said. He added that Biden’s visit is an example of “political play:”
“Brownsville can hardly be considered one of the most challenging immigration areas. ... It is the 29th busiest border patrol station this month, with far less activity than the San Diego, Tucson and El Paso sectors. The American people can see through that,” Moore said.
At the border Thursday, Biden said he was willing to work with former President Donald Trump on the issue, according to The New York Times. “Instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me,” Biden said. “Or I’ll join you.”
Trump in Eagle Pass
Trump also visited the border on Thursday. He headed to Eagle Pass in Texas, one of the most popular sites for illegal border crossings.
“Nice weather, beautiful day, but a very dangerous border,” Trump said Thursday, per Axios. “We’re gonna take care of it.”
The former president and 2024 Republican presidential front-runner spoke about the dangers he believes Americans face because of the state of the border and said the country is “being overrun by the Biden migrant crime,” according to CBS News.
Trump supported his claim by speaking about the recent death of University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. who was killed by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a migrant who entered the country illegally. According to the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Ibarra was taken into custody on Feb. 23.
In his speech Thursday, Trump said he spoke to Riley’s parents. “They’re incredible people that are devastated beyond belief,” he said, per NBC News.
Trump also referred to the influx of people coming through the southern border as a “Joe Biden invasion” as well as a “vicious violation to our country,” NBC News added.