ARIZONA, USA: Former US President Donald Trump, campaigning for reelection, pledged to hire 10,000 additional border patrol agents if he wins in 2024, aiming to strengthen border security.
During a rally in Arizona, Trump outlined plans to increase funding for border patrol through a 10% pay raise and a $10,000 signing bonus to attract and retain agents. Border Patrol union leaders, who endorsed Trump, joined him on stage to support these measures.
Trump’s pledge comes as immigration remains a major voter concern, with polls showing him favored over Vice President Kamala Harris in addressing this issue. His proposal follows his opposition to a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year, which aimed to fund 1,500 extra agents and 1,600 asylum officers. Critics, including Harris, argue that Trump blocked the bill for political reasons.
Harris and President Joe Biden have criticized Trump’s immigration policies, blaming him for exacerbating fear and division. Harris also highlighted the need to fix the “broken immigration system” and has focused on tighter asylum restrictions and tackling the opioid crisis, including fentanyl trafficking.
Trump has recently hardened his anti-immigration rhetoric, calling for harsh penalties against violent immigrant offenders and reinforcing strict immigration policies as central to his campaign.
