WASHINGTON (TNND) — The border issue is once again at the forefront of the 2024 election campaign, particularly in the battleground state of Arizona.

Former President Donald Trump outlined a plan to hire 10,000 more border agents and give raises to those already on the job, although he did not say where the funds to cover the costs would come from. costs.

In a speech this weekend in Prescott Valley, Arizona, Trump said: “After I win, I will immediately ask Congress to approve a 10 percent increase. They haven’t had one in a long time for all agents and a $10,000 retention and signing bonus for each.

VOTE | Do you agree with Donald Trump’s goal of hiring 10,000 new Border Patrol agents?

The National Border Patrol Council is immediately providing support.

“On behalf of the 16,000 men and women represented by the National Border Patrol Council, we strongly endorse and support Donald J. Trump for President of the United States,” National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez announced.

Trump also provided more details about his plan to pursue migrant criminals using a 1798 law called the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime authority that allows “subjects of a hostile nation” to be “apprehended, detained , secured and expelled.”

Trump also wants to impose an automatic 10-year prison sentence on those who return to the country after being deported and will recommend the death penalty for any migrant who kills a U.S. citizen or law enforcement officer.

The Trump campaign is betting that its tough talk will pay off, with polls consistently showing that its border policies are far more popular than those of the Biden-Harris administration.

This is one reason why Vice President Kamala Harris appears to have moved toward the center of immigration policy.

In a town hall withUnivision News On Thursday, she said: “I have taken on and prosecuted transnational criminal organizations that traffic in weapons, drugs and people. »

She also pledged support for the Senate’s bipartisan border bill, which never came up for a vote. His campaign criticizes Trump for suggesting he would hire new border agents, although he convinced Republicans to reject a legislative bill that did just that.

“Trump blocked the only thing we had for his own political gain,” said Democratic vice-presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz. “That’s the difference between someone who actually went after criminals and dedicated their life to keeping people safe and a salesman who sells you snake oil for his own good. That’s the difference. “

The differences are now on full display in the final weeks of the campaign.