Biden and Trump Make Dueling Border Visits Amid Migrant Crisis

President Biden and former President Donald Trump made dueling visits to the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday, as the two likely 2024 opponents used Texas towns 300 miles apart to blame the other’s party for failing to fix the migrant crisis.

The nationally televised events—each featuring meetings with law-enforcement officials, tours of border barriers and curious onlookers—highlighted the extraordinary importance of immigration as an issue in the presidential election that has become a top concern for voters both near and far from the border amid record illegal crossings.

Biden, making his second trip to the border as president, received a briefing from Border Patrol agents by the Rio Grande and met with law enforcement and local leaders. He blamed Republicans for blocking a bipartisan border agreement in the Senate that would have allowed the government to expel migrants if crossings surpassed a daily threshold of 4,000. After months of negotiations, Republicans ultimately said the terms didn’t go far enough. 

“Folks it’s real simple—it’s time to act. It’s well past time to act,” Biden said, pitching the bipartisan deal that would increase funding for border security and give the president the authority to close ports of entry. “It’s time to step up.”