(NewsNation) — Concern over the nation’s border was featured heavily in Tuesday night’s fiery debate between the 2024 presidential candidates.

Former President Donald Trump doubled down on some of his controversial border initiatives, while Vice President Kamala Harris defended her administration’s border policy. 

Trump blames Biden-Harris for immigration problems

“They have, and she has, destroyed our country with policy that’s insane. Almost policy that you’d say, ‘They have to hate our country,’” Trump said, referencing the record-high migrant crossings into the U.S. from Mexico under the Biden administration.

However, that same administration has also seen a sharp drop in migration since President Joe Biden implemented a mandate in July that limits border crossings.

“The United States Congress, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Senate, came up with a border security bill, which I supported. … You know what happened to that bill? Donald Trump got on the phone, called up some folks in Congress, and said, ‘Kill the bill,’” Harris said.

“He’d prefer to run on a problem rather than fixing a problem,” Harris added.

Trump pushes false claim about migrants eating pets

Trump repeatedly brought up widespread stories about immigrants in America’s communities.

“You look at Springfield, Ohio, you look at Aurora in Colorado. They are taking over our towns, they are taking over buildings, they’re going in violently,” Trump said. “These are the people that she and Biden let into our country, and they’re destroying our country.”

Trump and his allies have falsely accused Haitian immigrants in the small Ohio town of Springfield of abducting and eating pets. There’s no evidence that the community is doing that, officials told The Associated Press.

In Aurora, Colorado, rumors of a Venezuelan gang taking over an apartment complex have run rampant in recent days, though residents at the complex have said the gang is active in the area but not in control of the apartments.

When asked about those claims and whether they will dissuade potential supporters, he told NewsNation’s Libbey Dean: “All I do is say the truth. I say the truth. If I lose votes or gain votes, I don’t care.”

Trump blamed the Biden-Harris administration for the influx of immigrants and, subsequently, an alleged increase in crime.

“This will be one of the greatest mistakes in history for them to allow,” Trump said. “And I think they did it because they think it’s going to get them votes, but it’s not worth it.”

His rhetoric aligns with his previous stringent border policies, in which he promised to launch the largest deportation effort in U.S. history and try again to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, commonly referred to as DACA. While he was president, about 450 miles of barriers were built along the Southwest border, according to the AP. 

Trump did not respond to ABC’s David Muir when asked how he would enact that deportation effort.

Harris criticized for border security

Prior to the debate, Harris had not expanded on her border policies and past dislike of Trump-era initiatives, like pushes to deport more migrants or completing a border wall. She did not specifically mention any policy points during the forum.

She’s faced criticism about her handling of the southern border during her tenure as vice president. Republicans have given her the label of “border czar,” though it was never her actual title.

In 2021, she was put in charge of overseeing diplomacy with Mexico and the Northern Triangle as a means of addressing the “root causes” of migration.

The job of controlling who and how many people can enter the country is Homeland Security’s, according to PolitiFact.

Trump brought up her nickname during the debate. Harris did not comment on it.

NewsNation’s Jorge Ventura and Katie Smith contributed to this report.