Immigration to Take Center Stage in Vice Presidential Debate

Immigration is poised to take center stage in the vice-presidential debate, as the candidates step to the stage and argue over competing visions on border security and migrant policy. The issue has served as one of the starkest divides between Democrats and Republicans, many of whom have disagreed sharply on how to handle the U.S.-Mexico border. With debate preparations in high gear on both sides, immigration advocates and critics eagerly await how each candidate tackles challenges on border management, asylum policies, and undocumented immigration.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris will likely defend the Biden administration's efforts to balance humane immigration policies with border enforcement. The administration has implemented reforms focused on legal pathways for migrants and addressing the root causes of migration in Central America. She will likely brag about such initiatives as humane solutions to the migrant crisis that continues to play out.
Conversely, the Republican candidate will likely shift the blame onto the Biden administration for what it has done at the border to say that due to these policies, illegal immigration has increased. Republicans have pressed for more stringent enforcement at the border and policies such as the "Remain in Mexico" policy, where asylum seekers remained in Mexico until their cases were heard. The debate will provide a platform for these differing viewpoints.
Immigration remains one of the most divisive issues in American politics, with both parties proffering radically different solutions. The debate may help underscore how each party intends to deal with growing concerns over migrant surges at the southern border and a strain on resources across border states. It will also afford an opportunity for each candidate to describe how he or she would change the current U.S. immigration system.
Matters involving asylum seekers and paths to legal immigration would also be expected to be contentious. Democrats support the expansion of avenues to legal immigration status for victims of violence and persecution, while Republicans propose policies aimed at ensuring border security and decreased undocumented immigration. The candidates' foregoing issues should more than likely bode well with voter opinions going into the 2024 election.
But with immigration now atop the agenda of Thursday's vice presidential debate, both candidates will court undecided voters through their approaches toward border management, immigrant community support, and national security. Not only will the debate discuss what has been called an immediate crisis at the border, but it also points to the longer-term trajectory of immigration policy in the United States.