Oct 13, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Trump pledges raises and 10,000 more agents in border plan

Rebecca Falconer

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump poses for a picture with the National Border Patrol Council during a campaign rally at Findlay Toyota Center on October 13, 2024 in Prescott Valley, Arizona. — Republican presidential nominee former President Trump with members of the National Border Patrol Council union during a campaign rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, on Sunday. Photo: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

Former President Trump said Sunday he'd hire 10,000 more border patrol agents and give them a $10,000 retention and signing bonus if he's re-elected in November.

Why it matters: Trump has made the U.S.-Mexico border a key focus of his 2024 campaign and both he and Vice President Kamala Harris have pledged to impose some of the most restrictive immigration, asylum and border policies in decades, per Axios' Alex Thompson and Stef Kight.

Driving the news: Trump made the pledge at a rally in the battleground state of Arizona, where leaders of the Border Patrol union endorsed him onstage, as they had in the Republican presidential candidate's two previous campaigns.

Trump said at the Prescott Valley, Ariz., rally he "will be asking Congress immediately to approve a 10% raise" for all agents if he wins the election.
"Haven't had one in a long time," he said as he announced the retention and signing bonus while flanked by members of the union, the National Border Patrol Council.

Zoom out: While Trump has repeatedly hit the Biden-Harris administration on immigration, his Democratic presidential rival has frequently pointed to the bipartisan border bill that Trump pushed Republicans in Congress to reject.

The other side: Harris campaign spokesperson Matt Corridoni said in a statement Sunday that Trump "doesn't care about solving problems, he only wants to run on one."

Corridoni said 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.
"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" and that's Harris, Corridoni added.
Representatives for Harris did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment on Trump being endorsed by the Border Patrol union.

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Trump pledges raises and 10,000 more agents in border plan

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