South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott is set to visit the nation’s southern border on Friday, intending to address critical issues of drugs, trafficking, and migration that persist in the region.
As a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, Scott plans to unveil his comprehensive strategy to “crush the cartels” during his first trip to the southern border visit.
Scott’s campaign announced on Wednesday that the two-term senator will speak about his plan to dismantle transnational criminal organizations that generate billions of dollars annually through the smuggling of people and drugs into the United States.
The Biden administration has faced significant scrutiny from Republicans regarding its handling of illegal migration, with some lawmakers even suggesting the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The handling of border-related issues was a prominent theme during former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign for the White House.
Scott, who is vying for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination, is scheduled to appear in Yuma, Arizona, to outline his plans for tackling the challenges associated with the southern border, as reported by The Hill.
In a statement, the South Carolina Republican emphasized the importance of controlling the southern border, drawing an analogy to one’s own house:
"If you don't control your back door at your house, it's not your house. If you don't control your southern border, it might not be our country. That's why on my first day as Commander-in-Chief, the strongest nation on Earth will stop retreating from our own southern border."
Recent Southern Border Visit From Other Hopefuls:
Both former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, two of Scott’s primary rivals, have previously visited the border this year.
Notably, Scott is not the only candidate in this election cycle to visit the southern border. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley conducted her visit in early April, making stops in between San Antonio and Eagle Pass, Texas, while Governor Ron DeSantis traveled to Eagle Pass, Texas, in late June to visit the border.
Surveys indicate that DeSantis is currently polling second, though Scott has recently started gaining momentum in some early state polls.
Scott’s visit comes amidst a surge in arrests at the border, with authorities apprehending more than 130,000 individuals in July, compared to approximately 100,000 in June.
Since January 2021, an estimated 6 million migrants have entered the U.S. illegally, coinciding with President Biden taking office.
During his visit to southwestern Arizona’s Yuma, a city with a population of 90,000, approximately a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Phoenix, the candidate will host a round table discussion with local leaders and law enforcement.