During the vice presidential debate, J.D. Vance took issue with the moderators’ attempt to fact-check him on immigration issues. When Margaret Brennan asked Vance whether he agreed that Congress holds the power to fund changes to immigration policies, Vance explained that the Trump-Vance administration’s approach to solving the border crisis would involve empowering law enforcement to enforce existing laws.
Vance also pushed back against Brennan’s attempt to clarify that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, have legal status through Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Vance pointed out that TPS is a designation that allows the federal government to pause enforcement of immigration law, but it does not confer permanent legal status.
Brennan attempted to interrupt Vance, but he insisted on setting the record straight. He explained that the Biden-Harris administration has created a pathway for asylum seekers, including gang members and terror suspects, to enter the country through the CBP One app, which allows them to apply for asylum or parole and be granted legal status without going through the traditional immigration process.
Walz countered that the laws allowing for TPS have been on the books for decades, but Vance argued that the Biden-Harris administration’s use of the CBP One app to facilitate illegal immigration is a new development.
According to Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a majority of Haitian migrants are in the country under TPS, which is a temporary designation that does not provide permanent legal status. Hankinson also noted that some Haitian migrants may have been paroled into the country through the Biden administration’s disputed parole programs.
Vance’s attempt to correct the moderators was met with resistance, with Brennan repeatedly trying to speak over him and eventually muting the microphones. However, Vance’s insistence on setting the record straight highlighted the complex and often misunderstood issues surrounding immigration and asylum policies.
