Former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry made a surprising acknowledgment this week during an appearance on the BBC’s “Reflections” podcast, agreeing with President Donald Trump’s stance on the importance of securing the U.S. border.
“The first thing any president should say, any president, or anybody in public life, is, without a border protected, you don’t have a nation — I believe that. If you’re going to define your nation, you have to have a border that means something,” Kerry said in the interview.
In a rare break from his party, Kerry openly criticized how Democrats have handled immigration policy, specifically pointing to a lack of assertiveness in enforcing existing laws. “We have a system. I wish President Biden had been heard more often saying, ‘I’m going to enforce the law,'” he added.
Kerry also noted that the Democratic Party had allowed the situation at the southern border to deteriorate. “We just allowed the border to continue to be sieged, under siege,” he remarked.
Townhall reports Trump has long made border enforcement a central issue of his presidency and post-presidency platform. His immigration agenda has included large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, expanded detention efforts, and the establishment of remote facilities such as the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” to hold undocumented migrants.
The facility, criticized by Democrats for its extreme and hazardous conditions, has sparked significant backlash. Lawmakers recently addressed a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem describing the center’s environment as “inhumane.”
“This remote swamp is notorious for oppressive heat, relentless humidity, severe storms, and perilous terrain infested with venomous snakes, disease-carrying insects, and large predatory wildlife, including alligators and crocodiles,” the letter read.
“The intentional remote placement of this detention center makes it nearly impossible for separated family members and children to visit their detained loved ones, legal counsel to meet with their clients, and elected officials to provide oversight of the encampment. The deliberate placement of vulnerable immigrants into such a hostile and lethal environment is morally reprehensible, inherently cruel, and starkly violates basic humanitarian standards,” they wrote.
