As the upcoming election draws near, immigration remains a top issue of concern amongst voters. According to Pew Research, 61% of registered voters say immigration is a “very important” issue when considering their vote. Many presidential candidates have centered immigration reform in their platforms, addressing everything from the border wall to administrative reforms in immigration processing. 

Donald Trump

Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump has expressed the idea that there is a “massive invasion at our southern border that has spread misery, crime, poverty, disease, and destruction.” He plans to deputize the National Guard and local law enforcement to remove illegal immigrants and create a merit-based immigration system to limit the number of migrants entering the country. Additionally, in his keynote speech at the Republican National Convention, Trump promised to “close the border” and finish constructing his border wall with Mexico. He has also promised to apprehend and deport all illegal immigrants, arguing that their presence is “unfair” to those who entered the country legally. Trump also plans to reinstate policies from his previous term in office such as his “Remain in Mexico” policy which would force migrants seeking asylum to remain in Mexico until their court date with a U.S. immigration judge. Under his presidency, Trump promised to create the “most secure border in U.S. history” and to carry out the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history.”

Kamala Harris

Throughout her campaign, Kamala Harris has promised to secure the Southern border and to “reform our broken immigration system.” During her time as Vice President, she supported the bipartisan border security bill that, if it had passed, would have imposed limits on asylum eligibility, added over 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection personnel, and increased funding for cities and states to provide support for immigrants. She has promised to reintroduce that bill and sign it into law if elected President. As Vice President, she was also tasked with “dealing with the root causes of immigration” in Latin American countries, working with various nations to mitigate poverty and lower the number of migrants leaving those countries. In her speech at the Democratic National Convention this past August, she stated that she wants to create an “earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.”

Jill Stein 

Jill Stein aims to overhaul the immigration system in the United States. She believes that border policy should shift from focusing on detention and enforcement to humane and effective asylum processing. She believes that migrants should initially be screened for criminal records before being granted entrance into the country. Stein’s reform policies include abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), constructing an Office of Citizenship under the Department of Labor, granting amnesty to every undocumented person in America, expanding refugee programs, and increasing the number of visas available to immigrants. Stein believes that immigrants’ rights are human rights that America has the duty to protect. 

Cornel WestCornel West’s immigration policies aim to uphold principles of “dignity, respect, and human rights.” West wants to create clear and broad legal pathways for immigrants to seek residency within the country and dismantle the bureaucratic barriers that prevent immigrants from obtaining status. West also seeks to abolish ICE, demilitarize the border, and create a more humane path to seeking legal status. Additionally, West hopes to uphold asylum laws to ensure that those who flee persecution and violence have the opportunity to find safety within American borders so that America remains a “refuge for the oppressed.”