President Donald Trump on Friday likened the influx of migrants into Spain's Ceuta enclave to an "invasion" and warned that the United States could face a similar, or worse, situation if Democrats regain power.
During a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump described the scenes in Ceuta, which borders Morocco, as a "catastrophe." He stated that if Republicans do not win upcoming elections, the U.S. could experience an "invasion" of migrants on a scale that would make the situation in Spain appear insignificant.
"You know, I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people. And that same thing is going to happen to us if the Republicans don't get elected," Trump said.
Trump asserted that without the border wall, the U.S. would be unable to manage the situation, despite his claims of having built thousands of miles of wall and possessing "the safest border in the world."
He also criticized the Biden administration's handling of the U.S. southern border, stating that 25 million people have entered the country, many of whom he characterized as criminals. "The biggest thing, the worst thing that Biden did is allowing 25 million people into our country, because many of those people are criminals. They're murderers," Trump said. "A lot of them are gone now. We got them out. But they allowed people to come into this country that you can't allow to come into a country."
Earlier on Friday, Trump made similar remarks to Fox News, stating, "It’s terrible. Remember that picture. That’s going to be us in three years if the wrong side gets in." He also warned, "If the Democrats get in, you will not live a very good life."
Border security has been a central theme in Trump's political career and policy initiatives.
In response to the situation in Ceuta, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on X that the government would enhance the presence of security forces, deploy a physical containment barrier in the sea to aid repatriation, expedite repatriation files for irregular migrants, and maintain cooperation with Moroccan authorities to combat human trafficking.
According to Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas, approximately 60,000 migrants arrived from Morocco into Ceuta within a 24-hour period. The report indicated that at least 41 migrants had died.
The Spanish Interior Ministry later reported that around 50,000 individuals had arrived from Morocco since Thursday, with about half having already returned.
Ceuta is an autonomous Spanish city located on the north coast of Africa, bordering Morocco. The territory is not connected to mainland Spain.