Thursday, October 31, 2024

Opinion Today: Biden and Harris didn’t need a border wall

Many perceive Trump as tougher on immigration, but the reality is more surprising.
Opinion Today

October 31, 2024

Author Headshot

By Alexander Stockton

Video Journalist, Opinion

I found a video on TikTok that contradicts everything I'd heard about President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's handling of the border crisis. I was so intrigued that I made a video about it, which Times Opinion published yesterday.

The original TikTok video shows an undocumented migrant, Cleyber, at the border. He wants into the United States, but he's decided he's not going to cross illegally. Instead, he's peacefully swinging in a hammock, telling other potential migrants not to cross, either.

That confused me. Biden and Harris have been accused of enabling an open border. Record numbers of migrants poured across over the past three years, while the administration seemed to look the other way, or so the story went.

Cleyber was just yards from the United States — his dream within his grasp. If the border truly is permeable, why wasn't he crossing it? In answering that question, I found that the narrative that's often spun about this administration's handling of the border crisis is completely wrong.

Biden and Harris haven't ignored the issue. To my surprise, I discovered a campaign to secure the border that started the day they took office. In fact, they've often acted like conservatives, arguably fulfilling aspirations Donald Trump failed to achieve during his presidency.

When voters have been polled on immigration, a majority said they trust Trump on the issue over Harris. But they might feel differently once they see why Cleyber decided not to cross the border. Check out the video to learn more.

Watch the video:

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