Trump’s Controversial Remarks on Migrants as ‘Animals’ Sparks Debate on Illegal Immigration
During a speech in Michigan on Tuesday, Donald Trump referred to immigrants in the United States illegally as “animals” and “not human,” using derogatory language that he has used frequently on the campaign trail.
The Republican presidential candidate, surrounded by law enforcement officers, highlighted several criminal cases involving suspects who were in the country illegally, often using graphic descriptions. He warned of violence and chaos taking over America if he did not win the Nov. 5 election.
Referring to Laken Riley – a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia allegedly killed by a Venezuelan immigrant without legal status in the country – Trump claimed that some immigrants were less than human.
“The Democrats say, ‘Please don’t call them animals, they’re humans.’ I said, ‘No, they’re not humans, they’re not humans, they’re animals,'” Trump, who served as president from 2017-2021, stated.
During his campaign speeches, Trump often asserts that immigrants crossing the border illegally from Mexico have escaped from prisons and asylums in their home countries, fueling violent crime in the United States.
While there is limited data available on the immigration status of criminals, researchers argue that individuals living in the U.S. illegally do not commit violent crimes at a higher rate than native-born citizens.
Joe Biden blames Trump for discouraging Republicans from passing legislation in Congress this year to enhance border security and implement measures to curb illegal immigration.
“Donald Trump is using extreme rhetoric that fosters division, hatred, and violence in our country,” Michael Tyler, Biden campaign communications director, stated in a press briefing before Trump’s speech.
In his speech entitled “Biden’s border bloodbath” in Grand Rapids, Trump highlighted the murder of 25-year-old Ruby Garcia by her boyfriend, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, who was in the country illegally, according to police.
The deaths of Garcia and Riley have provided Trump’s campaign with the opportunity to address concerns about violent crime and immigration among certain Americans.
Trump has baselessly claimed that migrants have caused a rise in violent crime in U.S. cities and reiterated on Tuesday his unfounded assertions that Latin American countries are intentionally sending criminals to the United States.
Trump was scheduled to hold a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, following his Michigan speech. Both Michigan and Wisconsin are swing states that could play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the presidential election between Biden and Trump.
Although both candidates have secured their nominations, they will still appear on their party’s primary ballots in Wisconsin on Tuesday.
The Biden campaign will be monitoring potential protest votes by Democrats upset over the president’s strong support of Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
In the Michigan primary earlier this year, Biden won easily, but over 100,000 Democrats voted “uncommitted” as a protest against his Gaza policy. A similar option exists in Wisconsin for voters to mark their ballots “uncommitted.”
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