Former President Donald Trump promised mass deportations while speaking at a rally in Reading, Pennsylvania, Just the News reported. Trump's platform has always included a commitment to stopping illegal immigration, but he made this his final pitch to voters Monday in a heavily Latino city in a crucial swing state.
Conventional wisdom says that Trump must win Pennsylvania's 19 electoral votes to become president again. Conventional wisdom also says that Latino voters are turned off by candidates who crack down on illegal immigration.
However, Democrats seem to be losing ground as Trump told an enthusiastic crowd about his plans one day before Election Day. "The United States is now an occupied country, but it will soon be an occupied country no longer," Trump said to uproarious applause.
Trump was not shy about reiterating his hardline immigration position. "On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in American history," Trump told rallygoers.
"We're going to get them out," he added. Trump pointed out that "Dwight Eisenhower has the record" for the most deportations.
"He was a very moderate kind of a guy who's a good general [and] a good president... did a good job, but he hated the concept of people pouring into our country, and he has the record, but we're going to, unfortunately, beat the records, not something I want to do. But this is not sustainable by any country," Trump lamented.
"They're taking over your towns, your schools, your hospitals," he added. Trump mentioned the desperate situation in Springfield, Ohio, where a surge of illegal immigration has overwhelmed the small city.
"I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered. The United States is now an occupied country, but it will soon be an occupied country no longer," Trump added.
Trump's pushback against illegal immigration was supposed to be a stance that made him unpopular with Latinos. Perhaps there was a case to be made in past elections, but not so for 2024.
Now, according to Politico, Trump has picked up support in the community. Although Vice President Kamala Harris still enjoys a majority 55% support compared to Trump's 36% in Pennsylvania among Latinos, she's trailing President Joe Biden's numbers from 2020.
Even in Reading, where Latinos make up 68.5% of the population, there are signs that it isn't the slam dunk for Harris that it was for Biden as people suffer under Democrats' leadership. "Housing cost, utilities, groceries: it’s all gone up," Michael Rivera, who is the Burks County commissioner and is half Puerto Rican, pointed out.
"My wife is on the board of a shelter, and she mentioned to me the other day that they’ve gone up to 60 inquiries a month from women and children looking for a place to stay because of housing insecurity. There’s a huge need," he added.
The policies of the last three-plus years have impacted all Americans, including the Latino population. Trump is the president for all Americans who will fix the problems the previous administration has created, and everyone knows it.
