CHICAGO

Donald Trump’s campaign complained that speakers at the Democratic National Convention only mentioned the “border” a handful of times on Tuesday, while name-checking the former president in 55 instances. On Wednesday night, Democrats answered that critique, stacking a half hour of speakers who talked about the southern border by laying blame for the ongoing crisis squarely at Trump’s feet.

“When it comes to the border, hear me when I say: You know nothing, Donald Trump,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar, who represents the border town of El Paso. “He and his Republican imitators see the border and immigration as a political opportunity to exploit, instead of an issue to address.” Congress hasn’t passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill in nearly four decades, dating back to President Ronald Reagan’s administration. But a bipartisan Senate proposal to dedicate $20 billion to new security measures and enforce restrictions on migrants seeking asylum blew up last winter after Trump instructed GOP lawmakers to reject it. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the lead Democrat in the bipartisan negotiations, was granted a primetime slot at the United Center to saddle Trump with the culpability.

“One Republican said, ‘It would’ve had almost unanimous support if it weren’t for Donald Trump,’” Murphy explained. “Trump killed that bill.” A Texas sheriff donning a cowboy hat followed Murphy on stage and declared that when Trump visits the border, “he’s not there to help, he’s a self-serving man.”

With polls showing Trump as more trusted to handle immigration issues than Kamala Harris, Democrats knew they couldn’t avoid addressing a top concern of voters at their national convention. But given that illegal crossings surged at the beginning of the Biden administration, explaining the incumbent’s record is seen as politically precarious, particularly given that the Democratic nominee is his vice president. Harris, who was tasked with pinpointing the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle, has promised to “bring back the border security bill that Donald Trump killed,” comments that were included in a video played for delegates on the convention floor. Illegal border crossings have been consistently dropping this year, according to Customs and Border Protection data. Agents apprehended 56,000 migrants on the southern border in July, the lowest number of the Biden presidency.

But the Trump campaign sees the issue as one of its most salient attacks against Harris, given her past support for the decriminalization of illegal border crossings and the closure of detention centers. “If we give Kamala Harris a promotion and make her the president of the United States, the southern border is going to look like Walmart on Black Friday,” said JD Vance, the Ohio senator tapped as Trump’s running mate in Asheboro, North Carolina on Wednesday. It’s a vulnerability that Harris and her allies are now trying to paper over.

On the convention stage Wednesday night, speakers sought a delicate balance between acknowledging the problem while showing compassion and empathy towards immigrants seeking legal status. Rep. Tom Suozzi, who flipped a red seat into the Democratic column in New York, was the lone Democrat to describe the border as “broken.” It’s a line that fell largely flat inside the convention hall. Carlos Eduardo Espina, an immigration activist boasting 10 million TikTok followers, used his time slot to advocate the benefits of immigrants, including the tax base they contribute to.

He also invoked Reagan as the antithesis to Trump, which generated cheers. “Reagan knew that welcoming immigrants is not a Democratic or Republican value — it’s an American value,” Espina said. “To be pro-immigrant is to be pro-America.” The immigration-focused speakers were all scheduled in the 8 p.m. eastern hour. Wednesday night’s headliners, including former President Bill Clinton and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, did not mention immigration at all.