Former US president Donald Trump threatened large tariffs on countries that don’t accept deported migrants, suggesting that his immigration and trade policy could become closely intertwined if he returns to the White House.
“The countries will accept them back, and if they don’t accept them back we do no trade with those countries and we charge them big tariffs,” Trump said on Thursday at an event in Montezuma Pass, Arizona.
Immigration remains a cornerstone of Trump’s re-election pitch. He has pledged to complete the construction of a wall along the entire border and to carry out the largest deportation effort in US history. Polls indicate that a majority of Americans support curbing immigration.
He’s also made imposing large tariffs on both adversaries and allies a key portion of his economic policy. He’s even suggested he would like to raise enough money from import levies that he could drastically reduce income taxes, a major upheaval to how the US generates revenue to fund the government that would have widespread costs on consumer goods.
Trump visited the US-Mexico border on Thursday as he intensified his attacks on Vice-President Kamala Harris’ handling of illegal immigration, part of his effort to reclaim Arizona, a state he narrowly lost by just over 10,000 votes in 2020.
It was his first border visit since February, landing on the same day as Harris’ keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago – a pointed move to divert attention away from his rival as she gave the biggest speech of her political career.
Trump has been on a week-long tour of swing states as he attempts to regain ground he’s lost in recent weeks following President Joe Biden’s departure from the race.
Opinion polls show frustration with Democrats following an increase of undocumented and unhoused immigrants entering major cities and swamping social services during the Biden administration. Democratic mayors have voiced concerns that their cities are struggling to cope with the influx of people.
Last month, Harris committed to reintroducing a bipartisan border security bill that was previously blocked by Republicans at Trump’s urging. The proposed legislation would grant the president authority to close the border if migration levels exceeded certain thresholds.
After the bipartisan bill collapsed, Biden announced measures to limit asylum claims at the border if daily crossings surpassed 2,500. In July, arrests of individuals illegally crossing the border dropped by 32 per cent, the lowest figure in nearly four years, following Biden’s directive, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
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Trump vows high tariffs on China-made cars in his first speech after assassination attempt
Trump vows high tariffs on China-made cars in his first speech after assassination attempt
In anticipation of Trump’s visit to the US-Mexico border, local Republicans were ramping up efforts to mobilise supporters in Arizona’s rural Cochise county. “People have been pouring in. They’re coming in droves to get signs and hats,” said Inga McCord, a volunteer with the Cochise County Republican Committee, from their Sierra Vista office.
But McCord said local strategy is focused on getting Republicans to vote, versus swaying undecided voters to pick Trump over Harris. “It’s just getting people out to vote,” she said. “If you have a brain in your head, you’re going to tell the difference between them.”
At the county’s Democratic headquarters volunteer Pat Smith said Harris has sparked new interest. She said a man came into the office on Wednesday and planned to vote for the first time since 2016. “There’s enthusiasm,” she said.
Sierra Vista Mayor Clea McCaa, who changed his party affiliation from Democrat to independent in the conservative stronghold said his town needs resources.
“Our town is 45,000 people and we need more resources at the border. Patrolling the border that’s what we need.”