October 29, 2024
At a press conference held at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump announced his intention to establish a fund for victims of crimes committed by undocumented migrants, positioning border security as the central focus of his 2024 presidential campaign. If elected, Trump vowed to seize the assets of criminal gangs and drug cartels and use these funds to compensate victims and their families.
“We will be seizing the assets of criminal gangs and drug cartels, and we will use those assets to create a compensation fund for restitution of victims of migrant crime,” Trump said to a crowd of supporters and press.
Trump has long made immigration and border security a cornerstone of his platform. With migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border reaching record levels, the former president has promised sweeping changes if reelected, including mass deportations and the reinstatement of policies like “Remain in Mexico” and Title 42, which restricted entry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing Victims of Migrant Crimes
The conference featured emotional testimony from Tammy Nobles, whose daughter Kayla Hamilton, 20, was raped and murdered by an MS-13 gang member. Nobles expressed her belief that failures in the current immigration system led to her daughter’s tragic death. “Homeland security did not do their job. Health and Human Services did not do their job. The Biden-Harris administration did not do their job,” Nobles said. “If they would have done their job, made that one phone call to El Salvador, my daughter would still be alive today.”
Kayla, who was autistic, was strangled in 2022. Earlier this year, Nobles filed a $100 million lawsuit against the federal government, alleging negligence in preventing her daughter’s murder. Nobles’ story, along with others, has been prominently featured by Trump’s campaign as he seeks to illustrate what he describes as the failure of current immigration policies.
Another case highlighted by Trump’s campaign involves nursing student Laken Riley, murdered in Georgia by Jose Ibarra, an undocumented migrant from Venezuela who was released on parole due to limited detention capacity. Trump and Republicans argue that this and other tragic cases reflect systemic issues and advocate for policies to prevent such releases.
Border Security as a Central Issue
According to Trump, the U.S. border situation has escalated to an unprecedented level, and securing it is paramount. His campaign emphasized this stance in a recent press release, stating, “President Trump will secure the border and stop catch-and-release,” and citing a recent endorsement from the Border Patrol Union.
A YouGov poll conducted from September 19-22, 2024, among 1,130 adults, showed a notable bipartisan shift toward stricter immigration policies. Fifty-five percent of voters, including 30 percent of Democrats, expressed support for new restrictions—the highest level recorded by Gallup since 2001. These numbers underscore the heightened public concern over immigration and security.
Trump’s campaign adviser Stephen Miller echoed this urgency, promising a “100 percent” deportation rate at the border under a Trump administration, further adding that the focus would be on identifying and deporting members of transnational gangs, like Tren De Aragua, which has been associated with criminal activities across multiple states.
A Nationwide Response to Crime
As part of Trump’s broader law enforcement agenda, his campaign argues that the assets seized from cartels and gangs would be channeled into restitution for victims, delivering both justice and relief to those affected. High-profile crimes, like the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston, are cases Trump highlights to illustrate the potential dangers linked to unchecked migration. The campaign believes such tragedies can be prevented with stricter border controls.
Shifting Public Opinion
The recent poll numbers reflect a growing demand for border reform, a shift Trump believes will resonate with voters. As he stated at the conference, “This isn’t just about policy—it’s about safety for every American family. We will not tolerate open borders that allow dangerous individuals to harm our communities.”
Trump’s strong stance, coupled with promises of mass deportations and uncompromising border enforcement, distinguishes his campaign’s position on immigration from that of the Biden-Harris administration. As the 2024 election approaches, immigration continues to be a defining issue, and Trump’s pledge to prioritize the safety of American citizens resonates with a growing number of voters calling for decisive action on the border.
