Trump Proposes Major Border Security Overhaul at Arizona Rally
Former President Donald Trump made a bold promise at a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, on Sunday, pledging to significantly bolster the ranks of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents if he is elected president again. With just three weeks until Election Day, Trump’s proposal includes hiring 10,000 new agents, granting a 10 percent raise to existing personnel, and offering $10,000 bonuses for both retention and signing.
At the Findlay Toyota Center, Trump emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “This will ensure that we can hire and keep the Border Patrol agents that we need to keep. And we can also bring in a lot of new ones, really great ones.” His remarks come as immigration and border security remain pivotal issues in Arizona, a key swing state where polls indicate that voters trust Trump more than Vice President Kamala Harris on these topics.
The rally featured leaders from the National Border Patrol Council, who publicly endorsed Trump’s candidacy. Union president Paul Perez expressed strong support, stating, “On behalf of the 16,000 men and women represented by the National Border Patrol Council, we strongly support and endorse Donald J. Trump for President of the United States.” This endorsement marks a shift from earlier this year when the union backed a bipartisan border security bill that Trump vehemently opposed.
Earlier this year, Trump pressured Republican lawmakers to block a proposed bipartisan bill that aimed to hire 1,500 additional CBP agents and 1,600 asylum officers to address the growing backlog of immigration cases. Following his comments, Senate Republicans voted against the bill, allowing Trump to keep immigration and border security at the forefront of his campaign narrative.
In contrast, Harris has vowed to revive the bipartisan border bill that Trump rejected, leading to a heated exchange between the two campaigns. Matt Corridoni, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, criticized Trump’s approach, saying, “Trump told us Mexico would pay for his failed border wall. That was a lie. Then he made taxpayers pay for his failed border wall.” Corridoni further claimed that Trump is more interested in campaigning on problems rather than solving them, asserting that Harris is the candidate focused on real solutions for American communities.
As the election approaches, the debate over immigration policy is heating up, with both candidates vying for the support of Arizona voters. With Trump’s rally drawing significant attention and the endorsement of border patrol leaders, it’s clear that immigration will remain a hot-button issue in the final weeks of the campaign.
