The number of migrants attempting to enter the U.S. is expected to continue to increase this month. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that agents encountered nearly 2.5 million migrants in fiscal year 2023 — a record. Unlike past border issues, this election year is not about redefining physical boundaries, it's about who is allowed in, who is kept out and what to do with the people who are already here.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, have very different ideas and records concerning immigration and the border. Federal law permits asylum to people facing persecution. What happens before or after that is where policy comes in. In an effort to prevent people from seeking asylum at the border, President Biden has encouraged the use of a mobile app to to make the process more orderly. He instructed Vice President Kamala Harris to work with private companies to improve economic conditions in Central America so people didn't feel like they needed to leave.
Trump built over 450 miles of a border wall when he was in office. He's said he will resume the border wall if he is elected president.