What South Dakotans need to know about the ‘Border Bill Showdown’

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The division surrounding a bi-partisan immigration bill is growing after former president Donald Trump came out in opposition, calling it a “bad” bill.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson, have both sided with Trump.

To get a better understanding of the political gamesmanship being played we sat down with a political science expert. He breaks down what we as South Dakotans need to know.

“We haven’t seen this much try (for an immigration bill) for both Republicans and Democrats since the George Bush administration,” Michael Card said, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota.

Card pointed out how over the past 25 years the border has been used as a tool by both sides of the political aisle.

”We have motivated interest telling us that there’s nothing happening at the border and motivated interest telling us that it’s a warzone,” Card said.

Governor Noem visited the border last week. She has recently repeatedly referred to it as a warzone.

Specifically four times in a press release sent on Friday, and again during an interview on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’

“It is a dangerous situation and it is a warzone at our southern border,” Governor Noem said.

“Certainly the use of any inflammatory language such as warzone isn’t helping us reach a calm solution. A warzone is clearly in Ukraine, a warzone is clearly in Gaza. I don’t know if we would describe a warzone along the Rio Grande River,” Card said.

Another important consideration with this border battle is the political chess that is being played during an election year.

“They were getting ready to pass a very bad bill. I tell you what, I’d rather have no bill than a bad bill,” Former President Donald Trump said.

Trump has stated he wishes to use the border crisis as a campaign point, and Governor Noem has sided with him against the bill.

“To say that we have to accept this poison pill of a bill, it essentially codifies illegal immigration,” Noem said. “It is just a terrible bill. I think President Trump is exactly right it should not pass.”

For most people visiting the border to determine what is actually happening is not a viable option. Which is why Card encourages Americans to try and remain neutral.

“There’s just no room for compromise if we take an extreme position, and we’ll end up just using this for political bargaining points. I don’t think that’s what Americans really want out of our government,” Card said.

We reached out to Governor Noem’s office to ask why she uses the term warzone when describing conditions at the southern border.

Her office told us our question would be answered during an upcoming address to South Dakota legislators on Wednesday. Also adding quote:

Governor Noem has consistently called the situation at the Southern Border a warzone since 2021. What do South Dakotans need to know about the border that their Governor can share with them? That’s the question that you should be asking.

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