Why Republicans Are Taking the Immigration Fight to the Midwest

GOP politicians hundreds of miles from the southern border in Michigan and Wisconsin are hyperfocused on immigration and border security as they campaign.

Trump Michigan Immigration
Immigration has proved a salient issue for voters in the Midwest and across the country. Paul Sancya/AP

Republicans hundreds of miles from the U.S.-Mexico border are attempting to make immigration a top issue in their campaigns.

Politicians in Wisconsin and Michigan have played up their tough stances on border security, hoping to capitalize on concerns from voters about unauthorized immigration and fentanyl coming into the country. Former President Donald Trump has done the same, insisting in Michigan this month that “every town is now a border town.”

Immigration has proved a salient issue for voters in the Midwest and across the country. President Joe Biden’s numbers on the border have been consistently dismal, with most Americans saying they believe he’s “hurt the country” when it comes to immigration, according to a new AP-NORC poll.