Democrats Embrace GOP Border Security Language as Harris Critiques Trump’s Tactics

CHICAGO – The Democratic Party’s stance on immigration has evolved significantly since President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. At that time, Democrats positioned themselves against former President Donald Trump’s stringent border policies and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The updated Democratic platform, ratified during the recent Democratic National Convention, reflects a shift in focus due to heightened Republican criticism regarding a marked increase in illegal border crossings, notably at the end of December.

In a notable change, the phrase “secure the border” appears 13 times in the 2024 platform, a stark contrast to its absence in the 2020 version. Emphasis on the contributions of immigrants has largely been supplanted by commitments to enhance border security, combat fentanyl trafficking, and bolster Border Patrol resources.

During the 2020 campaign, Democrats challenged Trump’s record. This time, they find themselves largely on the defensive, adopting some Republican rhetoric to address growing concerns surrounding border security and ongoing GOP claims regarding Vice President Kamala Harris’s role as “border czar.”

Despite this shift, distinctions remain. While Trump promotes mass deportations and military presence at the border, Democrats advocate for legal protections for younger immigrants and a pathway to citizenship for long-term residents.

State Senator Priya Sundareshan, D-Tucson, emphasized that Democrats seek a comprehensive approach to immigration, targeting root causes rather than just enforcement. “A modern approach does not mean build a wall and hope that that stops everything,” she stated.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, also a delegate in Chicago, articulated the importance of underlying values over semantics. “Part of a comprehensive approach to immigration has to include security,” he said, while clarifying he was not expressing his official view.

Fontes criticized Trump, asserting that solutions should prioritize genuine problem-solving over political maneuvers. Earlier in the year, Senate Republicans, influenced by Trump, blocked a bipartisan border security bill that had garnered support from both Democrats and key union representatives of Border Patrol officer.

The newly ratified Democratic platform highlights this incident, labeling the rejected bill as “the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border in decades.” Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an independent from Arizona, played a pivotal role in negotiating this deal, which aimed to curb illegal crossings and tighten asylum protocols.

The platform underscores a belief that Republicans were prioritizing political gains over policy reform, as illustrated by their refusal to support the bipartisan bill. Democratic delegate Ken Budge, mayor of Bisbee, noted that his border city would benefit more from enhanced border management and visa reforms than from revived wall construction.

“The wall doesn’t work. I’ve been on the wall, I’ve been down with the ranchers,” Budge pointed out, referencing the futility of physical barriers in halting unauthorized crossing.

The 2024 platform advocates for an increase in Border Patrol personnel, asylum judges, and technological funding to improve migrant shelter systems. It portrays Trump’s policies as detrimental, claiming they would “devastate our economy and tear families apart” through mass deportations and the revocation of birthright citizenship.

Mayor Nieves Riedel of San Luis, not a Democratic delegate, offered a grounded perspective, recognizing a “humanitarian crisis” but refuting the apocalyptic narratives presented by some Republicans. “The boogeyman right now is immigration, and that’s sad because we’re talking about human beings,” she remarked.

An executive order signed by Biden in June reportedly reduced illegal crossings, according to Riedel. However, local struggles persist, with federal authorities releasing asylum seekers in border communities with little notice, leading to frustrations among local officials.

Robert Watkins, operations commander for the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, revealed that 40,000 migrants were bused into his county in 2023, straining local resources. “That’s how broken this immigration system is,” he said, highlighting specific incidents where released migrants lacked adequate support.

Watkins described a particularly troubling situation in May 2023, when 30 migrants were released in the small city of Bisbee, which struggles to provide for its current residents. He criticized the approach, saying, “That’s not human.”