He made these remarks on Wednesday, October 16, while speaking to Hispanic voters during a town hall event in Miami. Despite this stance, Trump expressed continued support for legal immigration.
“We want workers, and we want them to come in, but they have to come in legally,” Trump said at the forum, which was hosted by Univision and broadcast in Spanish.
“They have to love our country, love you, and love our people,” he told a 64-year-old California farmer who was concerned about the impact of migrant labor on job availability and food prices.
Trump criticized the Harris-Biden administration for the surge in illegal border crossings, arguing that it has harmed the Hispanic community. He claimed that many jobs held by African Americans and Hispanics were being lost to migrants entering the country illegally.
“They’re coming in, but many are also coming from mental institutions,” Trump claimed, adding that jails in countries like Venezuela were being “emptied out” and criminals were being sent to the US. He emphasized that this situation was undesirable, especially concerning potential terrorist threats.
“We need great people to come into our country, and I want them in even more than you do, but legally,” Trump concluded.
Recent polling by the New York Times/Siena College indicated that Vice President Kamala Harris holds a 19-point lead over Trump with likely Hispanic voters, though among Hispanic men, the margin narrows to just three points.
This marks a notable decline in the level of support for Democrats among Hispanics compared to previous election cycles.
