PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. — Former President Donald Trump visited the Badger State for the sixth time this year on Saturday. 

What You Need To Know

  • Trump spoke at a rally in Prairie du Chien on Saturday, where he laid out his plans for immigration

  • It was his sixth visit to the Badger State this year

  • Trump touched on a specific incident that happened in the western Wisconsin city, where a man was physically and sexually violent toward a woman

  • Trump highlighted that mass deportations are a big part of his immigration plan

Hundreds lined up outside the Prairie du Chien Area Arts Center to hear Trump speak at the western Wisconsin rally.

The former president spoke about his planned immigration policies, including a large-scale removal of undocumented immigrants.

While Wisconsin may be more than a thousand miles away from the border, immigration was still an important issue for voters who came to hear the former president speak.

“They’re coming to small towns. They have to go somewhere. I’m not saying they’re all criminals, but they all ought to be citizens before they get in here and get vetted,” said Stephen Saunders, who traveled from Iowa for the rally.

Trump also touched on a specific incident that happened in Praire du Chien, where police arrested a man they said was physically and sexually violent toward a woman. A 17-year-old girl was also hurt in the incident.

The man that was arrested was not a U.S. citizen and police said they believed he had ties to a Venezuelan gang. Police said it was “not a random event” and the suspect and the victims knew each other.

“This animal crossed Kamala’s wide open border along with hundreds of thousands that are worse than him,” said Trump.

According to a Sept. 2024 letter that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent to a U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, there were more than 600,000 non-citizens with criminal histories on ICE’s National Docket as of July 21, 2024. A large portion of them were charged with assault, drugs, immigration and traffic offenses.

Trump highlighted that mass deportations are a big part of his immigration plan. He said if elected, he’ll conduct the largest removal operations of undocumented immigrants in U.S. history. He was not yet outlined how that operation would work.

“We will seal the border, we will stop the invasion immediately, we will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of our country because we have no choice,” he said.

Several who attended the Saturday rally had personal ties to the issue.

Lyn Madsen said her family immigrated to the U.S. legally. She said she thinks Trump will ensure others do too.

“When you come in through the right way, you’re getting validated. You’re, you know, have things you have to do. You have to honor the country. You have to know things as you’re coming in,” she said.

Trump said immigration is one of the most critical issues the country is facing right now.

“There’s no greater act of disloyalty than to extinguish the sovereignty of your own nation right through your border,” he said.

The former president also vowed to reinstate several policies from his previous term, including protocols that would require asylum seekers to wait out the legal process in Mexico. He said he would also complete the border wall.

Trump is expected back in the Badger State on Tuesday.