By Steve Neavling
Several months after he played a key role in blocking a bipartisan bill that would have increased staff at the border, former President Trump announced Sunday that, if re-elected, he would push Congress to pass legislation aimed at increasing the number of border patrol agents.
Trump’s plan calls for hiring 10,000 new agents, offering a 10% pay raise for existing agents, and providing $10,000 retention and signing bonuses, according to a senior adviser from his campaign.
“I will be asking Congress immediately to approve a 10% raise,” Trump said during a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona. “We have a tremendous shortage because they haven’t been treated right.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday.
Earlier this year, Trump opposed a bipartisan border security bill that had been considered one of the most comprehensive in decades. The bill aimed to reduce border crossings and tighten asylum policies. It also included provisions to hire 1,500 more CBP agents and an additional 1,600 asylum officers.
Despite months of negotiations between Senate Democrats, Republicans, and the Biden administration, Senate Republicans ultimately voted to block the bill, with Trump pressuring GOP members to reject any measure that he didn’t deem “perfect.” This move allowed Trump to continue focusing on immigration and border issues as a cornerstone of his campaign to return to the White House.
Matt Corridoni, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, criticized Trump’s stance in a statement on Sunday, accusing him of preferring to campaign on the issue rather than solve it.
“That’s why he killed the bipartisan border bill that would’ve secured the border, despite the fact that it was endorsed by the Border Patrol,” Corridoni said. “There’s only one candidate focused on tackling issues for the American people, has taken on transnational gangs, and is focused on keeping our communities safe — Vice President Kamala Harris.”
In response to questions about Trump’s change in stance on hiring more agents, campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended his position, saying the former president opposed the previous bill because it was “an amnesty bill” that would have facilitated the illegal entry of immigrants into the U.S.
