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Trump Critiques Immigration Policies During Wisconsin Campaign Speech
During a campaign event on September 28, 2024, at the Prairie du Chien Area Arts Center in Wisconsin, former President Donald Trump addressed significant issues surrounding immigration, underscoring its pivotal role in the forthcoming presidential election.
In his remarks, Trump criticized the U.S. government’s immigration process, specifically targeting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) app. This app serves as a centralized platform for various CBP services, enabling immigrants to schedule appointments for entering the United States and allowing carriers to request cargo inspections.
“They have a phone app so that people can come into our country… these are smart immigrants, I guess, because most people don’t have any idea what the hell a phone app is,” Trump stated, eliciting reactions from the audience in the small city along the Mississippi River.
The comments prompted widespread attention on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where users questioned Trump’s assertion about public familiarity with smartphone applications. Former tennis player Andy Roddick chimed in, noting, “I feel like most people know what a phone app is. It’s not 2004 anymore. It’s 2024,” which resonated with many who pointed out that Trump operates his own social media platform that also features an app.
The Democratic campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted Trump’s comments by sharing a clip on social media, capitalizing on the viral potential of his remarks. This strategy has characterized recent efforts by the Harris campaign to engage with voters through direct references to Trump’s speeches.
In addition to his comments about the CBP app, Trump humorously remarked about the presence of a fly during his speech. “Oh, there’s a fly. Oh, I wonder where the fly came from,” he mused, drawing a parallel to the memorable moment in the 2020 vice-presidential debate when a fly landed on Mike Pence’s head.
This isn’t the first time Trump has targeted the CBP One App this month; he previously referred to it as the “Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals” on his Truth Social account, characterizing it as an improper tool for immigration control.
The CBP One App was introduced on October 28, 2020, during Trump’s presidency, but it gained prominence in January 2023 under the Biden Administration when it was expanded to assist migrants in scheduling asylum requests amid changes in immigration policy following the expiration of Title 42.
Critics of the app have noted that it struggles to meet the overwhelming demand from migrants seeking to use it for asylum claims. According to the guidelines, if individuals do not seek protection in the first country they enter or do not use the CBP One App, their asylum requests are likely to be denied.
Read More: Migrants Struggle to Make Asylum Claims Through CBP App
Trump’s remarks in Wisconsin come on the heels of Kamala Harris’s recent visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, marking her first trip there as the Democratic presidential nominee. Following her border visit, Harris addressed supporters in Arizona, emphasizing her commitment to a balanced approach to immigration reform.
“I reject the false choice that suggests we must choose either between securing our border and creating a system that is orderly, safe, and humane,” Harris stated, asserting the necessity of addressing immigration complexities while maintaining national security.
Source
www.yahoo.com