PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. — During a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, former President Donald Trump proposed the addition of 10,000 Border Patrol agents, complemented by a $10,000 signing and retention bonus for each new hire. This announcement follows Trump’s earlier decision to thwart a bipartisan bill aimed at increasing funding for border personnel earlier this year.
Trump’s remarks came as he received an endorsement from the National Border Patrol Council, a union that has traditionally supported him and backed his previous election campaigns. The rally took place approximately 260 miles from the Mexican border, highlighting Trump’s continued focus on immigration issues as a central theme of his political platform.
During his speech, Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris, attributing the unprecedented rise in unauthorized border crossings to her administration. He characterized those entering the country illegally as “invaders” and criminals, pledging to initiate the most extensive deportation operation ever witnessed in the United States should he regain the presidency.
Earlier this year, Trump diverged from the union’s interests by persuading Republican lawmakers to abandon a bipartisan immigration reform bill. This legislation, which the White House claimed would have allocated funds for 1,500 new positions within U.S. Customs and Border Protection—including Border Patrol agents—was dismissed by Trump, who argued that it would grant a political win to Democrats on a priority issue for him. At the rally, he described the bill as “a horrible bill.”
Trump and his supporters often refer to Harris as the “border czar,” despite her not holding that title. President Biden had initially assigned her the task of examining the “root causes” of migration originating from Central America.
Union leader Paul Perez stood beside Trump during the rally, warning that if Harris were to win the election, it would lead to dire consequences for communities across the nation. “If we allow Border Czar Harris to win this election, every city, every community in this great country is going to go to hell,” he proclaimed.
Trump reiterated his commitment to finishing the border wall if he were to return to the White House. He frequently contrasts the lower rates of border crossings that occurred under his administration with the significantly higher rates seen during Biden’s initial three years in office, although current data shows crossings have recently decreased to levels comparable to those during much of Trump’s presidency.
Additionally, Trump’s tenure was characterized by attempts to address illegal crossings, which included implementing policies that separated immigrant children from their parents before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in border closures. During his address on Sunday, Trump emphasized that Border Patrol agents deserved better pay and bonuses, lamenting what he described as the neglect of the border under the leadership of Biden and Harris.