Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States is “like a garbage can” to the rest of the world because of its border policies during an immigration-focused rally in Tempe, Arizona, less than two weeks before Election Day.
“They unleashed an army and migrant gangs that waged a campaign of violence,” said Trump, who regularly uses dehumanizing language when talking about undocumented immigrants. “We are a dumping ground. We are like a garbage can to the world.”
Immigration has been a key focus for Trump throughout the campaign, highlighting stories of undocumented immigrants committing crimes and blaming them for a wave of violence.
That rhetoric comes even as border crossings are at their lowest level since President Joe Biden took office in 2020. In September, Border Patrol agents apprehended fewer than 54,000 people attempting to cross into the U.S. in September, the lowest level since August 2020, when Trump was still in the White House.
On the battlefield in Arizona, Trump also reiterated Thursday his pledge to end sanctuary cities, his call for the death penalty if an undocumented immigrant kills a U.S. citizen, his plan to ask Congress for 10,000 new Border Patrol agents, and his promise to revive his so-called. -the so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy, which required migrants to remain in Mexico while awaiting asylum hearings. The Biden administration ended the policy.
“We have millions of people pouring in,” Trump said. “And we’re just not going to let that happen.”
Trump also continued to escalate his rhetoric against Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he increasingly called “stupid” for targeting her intellect.
“And in yet another incoherent trainwreck of a television interview yesterday, Kamala Harris once again states that she opposes any plan to send her illegal aliens back home,” Trump said. “She is a person with a low IQ.”
During a CNN town hall in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Harris responded to questions about immigration by saying Trump “hasn’t done much” and that she wants to allow legal immigration, but “people have to earn it.”
When pressed, she also reiterated her support for a bipartisan piece of legislation that includes $650 million for a border wall, something she had previously criticized.
“We need a president rooted in common sense and practical results,” Harris said. “Let’s just fix this thing.”
Arizona is among a handful of swing states that are expected to ultimately determine the race between Trump and Harris. Earlier this month, in-person voting began in the state, drawing visits from both Trump and Harris.
Recent public polls have shown Trump with a slight advantage in the state, but within the margin of error.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
