We let people in, but they have to come in legally, Mr. Trump said.
He also highlighted that his administration had ended the practice of catch and release, in which immigrants presenting themselves at the border without authorization are released from detention while waiting for their cases to be processed.
Mr. Biden became visibly agitated listening to Mr. Trump during the segment of the debate on immigration, and sought to immediately make clear that the family separations had made the United States a laughingstock and that they violated every notion of who we are as a nation.
The former vice president was also asked pointedly why voters should trust him to deliver immigration reform given that the Obama administration was unable to do so.
We made a mistake, Mr. Biden said, a rare unequivocal admission of failure. It took too long to get it right.
Ive made it very clear, he added, within 100 days Im going to send to the United States Congress, a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people, and all of those so-called Dreamers, those DACA kids, theyre going to be immediately certified again to be able to stay in this country and put on a path to citizenship.
In a striking debate moment, Ms. Welker, the second Black woman to moderate a presidential debate solo, asked the candidates directly whether they could understand why Black parents fear for their childrens safety and worry about their encounters with the police.
Mr. Biden, responding first, conceded that he had never needed to have a talk with his children. But he made his stance on inequality and discrimination clear.read more
5 Policy Issues Where Trump and Biden Diverged at Final Debate
