Trump blasts Harris over border security in Texas speech

AUSTIN – Former President Donald Trump took advantage of a stop in the middle of early voting in Texas on Friday to play up his campaign message on border security, saying his Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris has “innocent blood on his hands” for crimes committed by unauthorized migrants and strengthening his commitment to mass deportation.

“Immediately after taking the oath of office, I will launch the largest mass deportation program in American history,” Trump told a roaring crowd of about 100 supporters at the invitation-only rally at a private jet hangar in east Austin. “I will arrest every migrant operating on American soil.” The plan could cost billions, USA TODAY reported.

Flanked by Border Patrol agents and standing between signs reading “DEPORT ILLEGALS NOW” and “STOP MIGRANT CRIME,” Trump introduced. Alexis Nungaraywhose daughter, Jocelyn, was found dead in a Houston bayou in June. Two undocumented Venezuelan citizens were charged with capital murder and sexual assault in her case.

“Kamala Harris never contacted me, never offered her condolences,” Nungaray said, saying the Biden administration’s “open border” policies caused her daughter’s death. While unauthorized migrant crossings have occurred during both the Trump and Biden administrations, the Department of Homeland Security has adhered to a “catch and release” policy under Biden, allowing migrants to await asylum hearings in the country instead of keeping them in detention.

Nungaray was among several speakers who criticized Harris for his immigration policies and for making few visits to border regions.

More: 2024 election live updates: Look at Texas as Trump stops in Austin; Harris in Houston

About 100 miles to the east, Texans were gathering Friday afternoon outside Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium for a star-studded rally hosted by Harris on the theme of his reproductive rights presidential campaign.

The event was set to include the US representative. Colin Allreda Democratic congressman from Dallas challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and was to include performances by BeyoncéWillie Nelson and DJ Tryfe.

Cruz, who joined Trump at his rally in Austin on Friday afternoon, mocked Allred for his appearance with Harris.

“If you like Kamala Harris open borders, if you like Kamala Harris inflation, if you like Kamala Harris breaking criminals out of prison and the crime that comes with it, then Colin Allred is your man, because Colin Allred is Kamala Harris. ,” Cruz said in response to a question from reporters.

During his roughly 40-minute speech, Trump expressed support from the National Border Patrol Council, which is the union of Border Patrol agents. He also repeated baseless claims that mental institutions and prisons in other countries are being “emptied” by immigration to the US.

“It’s like a dustbin for most of the world; they throw out people they don’t want,” Trump said. “If we don’t win this year, we’ll go to Venezuela, Ted, and celebrate there, because it’ll be a lot safer than our country.”

Studies have historically shown that migrants commit crimes at lower rates than US citizens. However, those who support Trump’s goal of deporting all unauthorized migrants said that one crime is too many.

Trump did not mention his plan to stop federal agencies from granting automatic citizenship to children born in the United States to undocumented parents because according to his agendain violation of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.

Harris criticized Trump for telling congressional Republicans to tank a bipartisan border billwhich eventually failed after the former president said he would deliver the President Joe Bidenhis administration a political victory. The bill would have given presidents more authority to turn away migrants during high-traffic periods, it tightened asylum restrictions and allocated more resources to Customs and Border Patrol agents and inspection checkpoints.

Many Republicans, including Cruz, have said they believe the bill is too permissive and that the Biden administration should have found a way to close the border without congressional action.

An enthusiastic crowd

Trump called out several Texas GOP officials and Republican activists who attended the event, including allies Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, as well as Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Texas Republican Party Chairman Abraham George.

“When you go after people with bull—-, they become very popular,” Trump said of firing Paxton.

Among the less expected guests was the family of Vanessa Guillen, a soldier killed in 2020 at Fort Cavazos (then Fort Hood). Guillen’s sister criticized a report from Atlantic This week, Trump allegedly said, “It doesn’t cost $60,000 to bury a Mexican!” and refused to pay for a funeral for which he promised to foot the bill.

Many rally attendees wore their support in markers, from subtle to ostentatious. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham wore a blue dress and heels with bright American flag designs; another participant wore white sneakers with “45” embossed in gold. Red “Make America Great Again” 2016 to 2024 hats were plentiful among the crowds.

Several of those attending the rally are active in GOP chapters in and around Austin, and several told the American-Statesman about their hope that Trump will mend political divisions.

Abhiram Garapati, a Cedar Park farmer who is planning an upcoming run for Congress, brought a felt cowboy hat stamped with “Donald J. Trump” to present to the former president at the rally.

An immigrant from India who said he “came here with nothing 25 years ago,” Garapati said he wholeheartedly supports Trump.

“There is absolutely no vision with the current politicians,” he said. “No one says, ‘Let’s send a man to the moon.’ We have lost that kind of politician who has a vision for the country, who wants to unite the country and set some high goals for the country. That’s why I’m here.” Garapati also cited his concerns about inflation, crime and immigration as reasons for voting for the former president.

Farmer struck a different tone about Cruz.

“I don’t know why he has so many people against him. He has to work on it as a politician,” he said. One issue Cruz should compromise on, in his view, is abortion rights.

“I hope (both sides) agree to a mutual compromise so that the country can move on and stop fighting over this,” he said.

Also fresh in the minds of attendees was the Butler, Pa., rally where Trump was almost assassinated. Some rally participants wore shirts depicting the former president with his fist raised after a bullet pierced his earlobe.

Austin Young Republicans member Benjamin Shrader, who was sitting in front of Trump at the rally, said he heard a bullet hit Corey Comperatore about 10 feet behind him.

“I’m glad he’s alive,” he said of Trump. “I hate violence. I think violence from any side is terrible for the country; it’s very dangerous.”

Trump heads to the podcast taping

After the rally, Trump’s crown headed west to film an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in Rogan’s studio in Austin. Trump’s campaign likely bet that his appearance on the show, which is hugely popular among conservative-leaning American men, could boost voter turnout, Agriculture Commissioner Miller told reporters.

The trip to a non-battleground state for the record is a marker of the changing media landscape, one of Trump’s comments pointed out.

“Fake news people, we have a lot of them,” he said of reporters after calling Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg a “sleazebag.” “These are bad people, they are a threat to democracy.”

Harris fans prepare for rally in Houston

Meanwhile, in Houston, hours before the start time of Harris’ rally, the line to see the Democratic nominee wound thousands deep around Shell Energy Stadium, home of Houston Dynamo FC, the city’s Major League Soccer team.

Sitting in the shade of a stand of crape myrtles along the west wall of the arena were cousins Jacqueline Sevier and Tracey Mason-Moore.

As black women who came of age in the 1980s, Mason-Moore and Sevier never dreamed they would have the opportunity to vote for a black woman in a presidential election. They are now 60 years old.

“This will go down in the history books,” Mason-Moore said.

Both said abortion rights topped their priorities in the election.

“What about someone who is molested or raped?” Mason-Moore said of Texas’ near-total abortion ban.

Sevier interjected, “Especially if it’s life or death.”

Asked if pop superstar Beyoncé’s expected performance factored into their decision to wait in what quickly became a very long line.

“I’m here for Harris and that’s it,” Sevier said. “I’m too old to care about Beyoncé.”

In Houston on Friday, Harris criticized Trump’s statement in which he named the United States of America the “trash bin” of the world accusing the former president of disrespecting the American people.

“This is someone who is a former president of the United States who has a bully pulpit,” Harris told reporters before the rally. “And this is how he uses it? To tell the world that somehow the United States of America is garbage?”

Statesman staff writer John Moritz and USA TODAY staff writer Joey Garrison contributed reporting.