In the ongoing United States 2024 presidential election campaigns, immigration policy has become a defining issue. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump represent strikingly contrasting visions.
Immigration plays a significant role in shaping the U.S. economy and society. It promotes business innovation, addresses workforce needs, and strengthens American values of family unity and inclusion.
Polls show that opinions on which party best handles immigration are mixed, with 41% favouring Republicans, 29% siding with Democrats, and 20% indicating that neither party effectively manages immigration.
This blog examines the competing approaches in Harris’ and Trump’s campaign for the 2024 election. It focuses on six main areas: Immigration Reform, Border Security, Deportation Policies, Asylum Seekers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Travel Bans.
Immigration Reform – Trump vs Harris America’s Immigration Future
The Trump Campaign 2024 Suggests Restrictive Measures and Limited Pathways
Trump maintains a restrictive stance on immigration, focusing on tight enforcement and reduced legal pathways.
Trump’s plan for the US immigration system is to enact mass deportations and significantly bolster border security. He aims to continue his 2016 initiative to extend the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Trump advocates for limiting legal immigration, including family-based and skilled worker visas, aligning with his broader goal to reduce the overall immigrant population. A key element of his plan is to revoke birth right citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants.
Trump has previously referred to migrants in degrading language, calling them “animals” and “pet eaters” and accusing them of “poisoning the blood” of the country. This rhetoric is part of his strategy to deter unauthorized immigration.
Kamala Harris’ Campaign Offers Balanced Enforcement and Humanitarian Protections
Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign promotes a balanced reform approach emphasizing humane enforcement while addressing migration causes. Her policy seeks comprehensive, bipartisan reform, working with both parties to reach a consensus on immigration reform.
Harris’ plan advocates for pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who meet specific criteria. She recognizes that immigration is often driven by harsh conditions abroad, so her campaign proposes a way to mitigate migration by investing in economic and social development in Central America.
In addition, Harris proposes expanding family and employment-based visas to benefit immigrants and the U.S. workforce.
Border Security – Trump vs Harris America’s Immigration Future
Trump’s Vision: Stringent Security Measures and Military Enforcement
Trump’s border security plan emphasizes physical infrastructure and strict enforcement, which aligns with his first-term initiatives.
Trump pledges to complete the U.S.-Mexico border wall, an essential aspect of his 2024 campaign. His proposal includes hiring 10,000 new border agents, a 50% increase, to strengthen border enforcement.
Trump’s presidential campaign includes a plan to deploy military personnel along the border. He remains open to reinstating family separation policies for migrants entering the U.S. without authorization, a controversial practice from his first term.
Harris’ Approach: Combining Security with Root Cause Mitigation
Harris proposes a mildly stringent border security policy. She seeks to balance security enforcement measures with strategies to address migration causes.
Harris supports a bipartisan proposal to increase border agents, invest in drug detection technology, and impose temporary border closures if crossings exceed certain limits. She proposes a partnership to address the poverty and violence in Central American countries that drive migration. The program has already led to a 10% decrease in border encounters with migrants from these regions.
Deportation Policies – Trump vs Harris America’s Immigration Future
Trump’s Presidential Campaign Discusses Large-Scale Deportations and Military Involvement
Trump’s immigration policy has an aggressive deportation plan, proposing the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Trump plans to deport between 15-20 million undocumented immigrants through mass raids. His approach includes mobilizing local police, the National Guard, and the active-duty military for deportation efforts.
Trump supports establishing detention camps to hold undocumented immigrants pending deportation. He has suggested using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport individuals, reviving a law that was last used against Japanese Americans during World War II.
Kamala Harris’ Campaign Advocates for Humane Enforcement and Sustainable Solutions
Harris’ deportation policy centers on regulated enforcement. She opposes large-scale deportations and rejects using military force for immigration enforcement.
Harris emphasizes upholding due process to ensure deportation victims receive fair treatment under current laws. She advocates for pathways to citizenship, rather than widespread deportation, as a more sustainable immigration solution.
Asylum Seekers – Trump vs Harris America’s Immigration Future
Donald Trump’s Approach: Zero-Tolerance and Restrictive Measures on Asylum
Trump’s 2024 campaign promotes a restrictive, zero-tolerance approach to asylum. His policies seek to minimize entry points for asylum seekers, making the U.S. asylum system among the most restrictive globally.
Trump plans to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy, forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed. He has committed to reviving Title 42, a measure from his previous term that enabled the U.S. to expel migrants without hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, Trump’s policy includes suspending asylum for individuals who cross the border illegally, limiting the asylum process to very few cases.
Harris’ Approach: Fair Asylum Policy with Humanitarian Focus
Kamala Harris’ campaign proposes a balanced approach to asylum that restricts unauthorized entries while upholding essential humanitarian protections. Harris advocates for asylum reforms to speed up the process and increase accessibility for individuals and families fleeing violence.
Harris supports limiting asylum applications during high-demand periods and restricting applications from individuals who cross the border illegally. However, she shares the need to protect vulnerable groups, such as unaccompanied minors, ensuring they receive legal support throughout the asylum process.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) – Trump vs Harris America’s Immigration Future
Trump Opposes DACA and Proposes Restricted Citizenship Pathways
Trump opposes DACA and focuses on reducing citizenship pathways for undocumented individuals. His administration attempted to end DACA protections in his first term, though it was met with legal challenges.
Trump’s plan for the US immigration system is to cancel DACA. He rejects proposals protecting Dreamers from deportation. He also plans to restrict opportunities for Dreamers to obtain legal status.
Kamala Harris’ 2024 Campaign Emphasizes Strong DACA Protections and Citizenship Pathways
A key pillar of Kamala’s immigration policy is her commitment to protecting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, commonly known as Dreamers. Her plan includes permanent legislative protections and pathways to citizenship.
Harris urges Congress to pass comprehensive legislation securing permanent protections for Dreamers during the ongoing court challenges against DACA. She supports a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and other undocumented immigrants who meet certain criteria.
Harris also proposes DACA-like protections for other vulnerable groups, including undocumented immigrants with children who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Travel Ban Order – Trump vs Harris America’s Immigration Future
Trump’s Presidential Campaign Proposes Expansion of Travel Bans
Trump’s immigration policy includes a plan to reinstate and potentially expand his previous travel bans, which aimed to bar travelers from several majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. His campaign claims these bans enhance national security, though they have faced criticism for ethnic discrimination.
Trump proposes reinstating these bans and potentially adding new countries to the list.
Kamala Harris Opposes Religion- and Nationality-Based Travel Bans
Harris vehemently opposes travel bans based on religion or nationality, a stance she described as “un-American.” She supported the 2021 Biden administration’s repeal of Trump’s travel bans, which had targeted individuals from several Muslim-majority countries.
Harris backed Biden’s decision to revoke Trump’s 2017 travel restrictions on multiple Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Syria, and Yemen.
Final Note – Trump vs Harris America’s Immigration Future
As the 2024 election approaches, voters face a significant choice between Harris’ balanced, humanitarian-based approach and Trump’s stringent, enforcement-heavy policies.
Harris aims to preserve American values through bipartisan reform and sustainable solutions. Trump, meanwhile, seeks to limit immigration, tighten security with a physical border wall, and implement mass deportations with the help of military enforcement.
Each vision reflects differing priorities and values, offering voters a clear choice on how the U.S. will address immigration’s challenges and its potential impact on the nation.
