JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

To Milwaukee, where it’s the second day of the Republican National Convention. Today, the theme is, quote, “make America safe again.” Immigration and border security will be part of the program. Joining us now is NPR immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd. And Jasmine, the issue of immigration is one that former President Trump has campaigned on quite aggressively. But tell us, how is it being discussed at the RNC?

JASMINE GARSD, BYLINE: Yeah, the messaging has been very clear from the get-go. Under the Biden administration, immigration has run amok. And if elected, former President Donald Trump will fix it. Here’s Senator John James from Michigan last night.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOHN JAMES: Black people were sold on hope. Now our streets are rife with crime. Our kids can’t read. And illegals are getting better help from Democrats in four days than we’ve gotten in 400 years.

GARSD: There was also a subtext to the speakers who were Black, white, Latino. And that subtext was, this is not about race. This is about wanting immigration control.

SUMMERS: Jasmine, I think it’d be helpful if you can just talk to us a bit about what we do know factually about the intersection of immigration and crime.

GARSD: Well, there’s extensive data and research showing that immigrants don’t commit more crimes than American citizens. Quite the contrary. But this has been the mantra for former President Donald Trump. He has repeatedly said that migrants coming to the U.S. are criminals, and he has promised the largest deportation ever.

Now, tonight, we’re going to see a doubling down on that point. Among the speakers are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who’ve been very vocal against President Biden’s immigration policy. Also invited is the family of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman murdered by a Salvadoran immigrant in 2023.

SUMMERS: Jasmine, some of yesterday’s big news was the fact that former President Trump named his running mate. It is Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. What can you tell us about Senator Vance’s positions on immigration?

GARSD: Well, Senator Vance is pretty closely aligned with President Trump’s view on immigration. Here’s a 2022 ad from his campaign for Ohio Senator.

(SOUNDBITE OF POLITICAL AD, “ARE YOU A RACIST?”)

J D VANCE: Joe Biden’s open border is killing Ohioans with more illegal drugs and more Democrat voters pouring into this country. This issue is personal.

GARSD: OK, so a couple of clarifications here – the border is not open. In fact, in recent months, Biden has almost entirely closed it off to undocumented asylum-seekers in a move that really echoes Trump-era policies. And as a result, in recent months, we’ve seen a steep decline in unauthorized crossings. In June, it was the lowest number since Biden took office. Also, on the topic of illegal drugs being brought in over the border, overwhelmingly, fentanyl is being smuggled by U.S. citizens through legal ports of entry.

SUMMERS: That was NPR’s Jasmine Garsd. Jasmine, thank you.

GARSD: Thanks for having me.

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