Public Health on the Ballot: Immigration
A look at where the presidential candidates stand on issues surrounding immigration, past and present.
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Immigration is a cornerstone of American society, shaping the nation’s cultural, economic, and social landscape. It plays a crucial role in addressing labor shortages, fostering innovation, and contributing to economic growth. However, the immigration system faces significant challenges, including border security concerns and debates over pathways to citizenship. These issues have broad implications for public health, as immigrants often face barriers to accessing health care, and immigration policies can exacerbate existing inequalities.
The following chart breaks down prominent immigration policies the Trump-Pence and Biden-Harris administrations put in place while in office, as well as what the Trump-Vance and Harris-Walz administrations plan to do if elected in November.
Past Administrations
Biden-Harris (2021-2025)
- Border Security:
- Reversed the “Remain in Mexico” policy.
- Focused on addressing the root causes of migration in Central America by promoting economic growth, tackling corruption, and improving security.
- Asylum Policies:
- Re-established previously cut policies to restore pathways to asylum.
- Increased refugee admissions by more than four times the historically low 15,000 admissions set by the previous administration.
- Deportation:
- Focused on deporting individuals posing national security or public safety threats, moving away from the use of large-scale deportation tactics.
Trump-Pence (2017-2021)
- Border Security:
- Implemented a “zero tolerance” policy at the border.
- Built 450 miles of the U.S-Mexico border wall.
- Introduced a travel ban for several Muslim-majority countries.
- Asylum Policies:
- Restricted access to asylum through the “Remain in Mexico” policy and pandemic-related expulsions under Title 42.
- Limited refugee admissions to historic lows.
- Increased barriers to legal immigration process.
- Deportation:
- Increased deportation efforts, promising mass deportations in the millions. However, actual deportations remained under one million, compared to the several million deported under the previous administration.
Future Administrations
Harris-Walz
- Border Security:
- Supports the bipartisan Senate national security agreement, aiming to enhance border security through a collaborative approach while safeguarding humanitarian protections.
- Harris: “We know our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it: comprehensive reform. That includes strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship.”
- Asylum Policies:
- Aims to restore and expand humanitarian protections, focusing on refugee admissions and asylum pathways.
- Harris: “If someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum.”
- Deportation:
- Pledges to continue protections for Dreamers under DACA.
Trump-Vance
- Border Security:
- Pledges to finish the U.S-Mexico border wall.
- Pledges to reinstitute travel bans, and implement mass deportations.
- Trump: “We will carry out the largest deportation operation in the history of the country. We’re going to seal our borders and finish the wall to stop the migrant crime epidemic.”
- Asylum Policies:
- Plans to reinstate restrictive asylum policies, like “Remain in Mexico,” and limit refugee admissions.
- Deportation:
- Promises to escalate deportation efforts, including the removal of undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S.
- Trump: “On Day One, I will sign an executive order to end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens. We will also begin identifying and deporting the millions of illegal aliens that have illegally entered the United States.”
