Trump Suggests Tariffs Against Nations Including China Over Illegal Immigration

Washington: During an event on Thursday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed imposing tariffs on countries, including China, that fail to curb the flow of undocumented immigrants to the United States if he wins the November election. Speaking in Arizona, a key border state, Trump responded to an audience question but did not specify the tariff amounts he would consider.

Trump emphasized the United States’ significant economic power, suggesting that tariffs could be a tool to pressure countries to reduce illegal immigration. “If a country, such as China, doesn’t help curb the flow of immigrants into the U.S., we have these things called tariffs,” Trump stated. He warned that non-compliant countries could face severe tariffs if he is re-elected.

Immigration and border security have become pivotal issues for Americans as the November 5 election approaches, with Trump set to face off against President Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 election.

This event marked Trump’s first campaign appearance since a Manhattan jury on May 30 found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made by his former lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to appeal, labeling the trial “rigged.”

During his speech, Trump criticized Biden’s recent asylum ban aimed at deterring illegal crossings at the southern border, despite its similarities to policies Trump tried to implement during his presidency. Biden’s executive action, introduced on Tuesday, enforces a broad asylum ban on migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, with exceptions for unaccompanied children, individuals facing serious threats, and trafficking victims.

Trump called Biden’s plan “outrageous” and a sign of “death and defeat” at the border. He pledged to rescind the measure on his first day in office if re-elected and claimed, without evidence, that Biden’s policy would allow a minimum of 2 million “illegal alien border crossers” into the U.S. annually. When asked for clarification, Trump’s campaign did not respond immediately.

U.S. Border Patrol reported approximately 2 million arrests of migrants crossing illegally in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, with similar numbers expected this year. However, Biden’s latest policy aims to reduce these crossings.

Trump also suggested relocating U.S. troops stationed abroad to patrol the southern border. Biden has been pushing for a bipartisan Senate bill to enhance border security, but Republicans rejected it after Trump opposed the legislation. Democrats argue that Republicans are undermining border security efforts for political gain.

Several attendees at Trump’s event were treated for heat exhaustion after waiting in temperatures nearing 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).