A group of 2,000 migrants on their way to American border This could be the start of a wave of crossing attempts as the presidential election approaches, one expert says.

“I think whatever deal we made with the government of Mexico to slow the flow leading up to the election to improve Harris’ campaign numbers will end the day after the election,” Lora said Ries, director of border security and border security at the Heritage Foundation. Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital, referring to the Biden administration’s coordination with the Mexican government earlier this year on an executive action that allowed the president to temporarily suspend entry into the country.

Comments come after about 2,000 migrants left the Mexican border on Sunday, according to a CBS Austin report, with some admitting they are now making the trip because of fears over the outcome of the presidential election.

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“Whoever wins (the US elections) should not close the doors to us, (he) should give us the support we need, because we are all going through a really difficult time,” one of the migrants told Associated Press.

Ries expects this flow to intensify between Election Day and the inauguration if former President Trump defeats Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that migrants will fear Trump will do more to close the southern border.

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“We saw it in Trump’s first term, when a lot of people tried to get into office before he came into office, because they knew he would be concerned about law enforcement,” Ries said, adding that a Trump victory this time would result in “quite the opposite.” jump in numbers” for illegal crossings.

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Border security is a priority for voters ahead of this year’s election, after three record years of illegal crossings. under President Bidenan issue Harris also faced after being appointed by Biden to help address the root causes of migration in 2021.

Republicans have continued to criticize Harris for her role as “border czar” since she took over, while she promised tougher enforcement measures on the campaign trail.

“Those who cross our borders illegally will be apprehended, deported and barred from returning for five years,” Harris said at a September event in the border state of Arizona.

Trump, meanwhile, made border security and immigration a centerpiece of his campaign, which included promising “the largest mass deportation in the history of our country.”

Neither the White House nor the Harris campaign responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from Fox News’ Digital Immigration Center.

Original article source: Caravan descending on the border could portend a rush of migrants to the United States if Trump wins the election