Trump and Harris Tackle Immigration Policy in Battleground States Iowa and Arizona

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ICARO Media Group
Politics
01/10/2024 19h14

**Trump and Harris Address Immigration Policy in Key Battleground States**

Former President Donald Trump recently referenced Iowa numerous times during a campaign stop in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where he discussed immigration policies, just as Vice President Kamala Harris made her first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in Douglas, Arizona. Speaking to a crowd in Prairie du Chien, a town of about 5,000 near Iowa's eastern border, Trump claimed without evidence that thousands of immigrants are being flown into Iowa and other states illegally.

Trump stressed to his audience that every state in the country is currently affected by illegal immigration. "They could be in Iowa, they could be in Idaho," he said, highlighting his belief that every state is now a "border state". He added that new data from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals that thousands of immigrants with criminal convictions are being released into the country, a claim which has been refuted by fact-checkers.

Reports by major media outlets like CBS News and The Washington Post contradicted Trump's assertions, explaining that the ICE data he cited has been misrepresented. According to these reports, many of the 13,099 immigrants with murder convictions that ICE mentioned in a recent letter are not at large but are already incarcerated by federal or local authorities or are serving criminal sentences before being deported.

Despite these contradictions, Trump continues to claim that people in small towns across states such as Iowa, are deeply concerned about immigrants entering the country illegally. He mentioned conversing with voters in Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, emphasizing their alarm.

In Iowa, state lawmakers have recently followed the lead of other states like Texas, by enacting legislation that gives them the authority to enforce immigration laws at the state level. Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill in April, now under federal appellate review, that criminalizes re-entry into the state after deportation or being denied entry into the U.S.

In contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Iowa in July for a discussion at Drake University addressing abortion rights, coinciding with the impending enactment of a six-week abortion ban in the state. Drawing parallels to Trump, Harris has focused her campaign efforts on key battleground states.

As the countdown to the November 5 election continues, both figures are navigating crucial states to secure voter support on pivotal issues such as immigration and reproductive rights.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

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