Montana’s U.S. Senate race is heating up as Republican nominee Tim Sheehy challenges incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester on issues related to immigration and border security. Sheehy has accused Tester of not doing enough to secure the southern border and has aligned himself with former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. In response, Tester has emphasized his support for bipartisan border security bills while highlighting his differences with President Joe Biden on the issue. Sheehy has criticized Tester for his vote to dismiss impeachment charges against Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accusing Tester of collaborating with the Biden administration on immigration policies.
Since President Biden took office, over 7.9 million foreign nationals have illegally crossed the U.S. border with Mexico, leading to concerns about increased crime and drug trafficking. Sheehy has called for the construction of a physical wall along the southern border and an end to federal authorities’ relocation flights for migrants. Republican Senate candidates across the country have made immigration a central issue in their campaigns, with a campaign arm of the Senate Republican Conference dedicating $15 million to attacking Tester on immigration ahead of the election. Tester, on the other hand, has sought to differentiate himself from Biden on border security issues, highlighting his support for a bipartisan border security bill introduced in the Senate.
Tester’s support for conservative immigration legislation, such as the Laken Riley Act, has garnered attention, as he joins Republicans in Congress in addressing concerns related to illegal immigration. Montana, despite being a heavily conservative state, has consistently elected Tester as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate. Immigration has become a major issue in federal campaigns this year as both parties present differing approaches to dealing with the influx of foreign nationals entering the country. President Biden recently signed an executive order banning asylum for those who illegally cross the border, while also introducing a measure to provide legal status to certain illegal immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens.
Former President Trump’s announcement of granting permanent residency to international students graduating from U.S. colleges and universities adds a new dimension to the immigration debate, with his proposal representing the most significant expansion of legal immigration in decades. The contrasting immigration policies of Biden and Trump, along with Tester and Sheehy’s positions on these issues, have become key talking points in the Montana Senate race. Both candidates have yet to comment on their support for Biden’s or Trump’s latest actions, leaving voters to consider where they stand on these critical immigration policies as they head to the polls to decide the state’s representation in the U.S. Senate.
