In a fiery and tortuous speech in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, former President Donald Trump vowed to “liberate” the state from what he described as an extreme influx of migrants, reiterating his tough stance on immigration while The 2024 presidential election campaign is coming to a head.

As Trump addressed a crowd at the Prairie du Chien Area Arts Center on Saturday, he took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, blaming her for what he said was a crisis at the southern border. “I will free Wisconsin from the mass migrant invasion,” Trump declared, adding, “We will free the country.”

The former president’s comments came just a day after Harris visited the U.S.-Mexico border, where she announced plans to further restrict asylum applications. Trump criticized Harris’ border visit and Fox News for broadcasting her comments, claiming: “Everything she says is lies.”

Newsweek contacted both the Harris and Trump campaigns via email seeking comment on Saturday’s events.

Immigration remains a hot-button issue in Wisconsin and other swing states, and the former president is hoping to capitalize on voter frustration. Trump reiterated his controversial stance after previously calling illegal border crossers “poisoning the blood of the country.” He also promised to launch the “largest deportation operation in American history” if re-elected.

The event featured mugshots of people who were in the U.S. illegally and accused of crimes, including Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate. Local police chief Kyle Teynor addressed the crowd and confirmed that Zarate, who was arrested on multiple charges including sexual assault, was not a U.S. citizen and had fake immigration documents.

Current polls show a close race in Wisconsin. According to the latest findings New York Times/Siena College Poll: Harris leads Trump by a slim 49 percent to 47 percent among likely voters in the state.

The timesThe /Siena poll, conducted Sept. 21-26, surveyed 680 likely voters and has a margin of error of about 4 percentage points. FiveThirtyEight polling averages for Wisconsin show Harris maintaining a narrow 2.1-point lead over Trump (48.8 percent to 46.7 percent).

A recent poll from Redfield and Wilton Strategies shows that 47 percent of respondents trust Trump on immigration, compared to 36 percent who trust Harris. That gap has narrowed in recent weeks, coinciding with a sharp decline in border crossings as a result of President Joe Biden’s executive order restricting asylum applications.

Harris’ tougher stance on border security reflects Democrats’ efforts to close the gap and changing public attitudes toward immigration. Gallup reports that 55 percent of voters — including nearly 30 percent of Democrats — support new immigration restrictions, the highest level recorded since 2001.

The contrasting approaches to immigration policy between Harris and Trump reflect broader ideological differences between the Democratic and Republican platforms. The Republican Party is making immigration a top priority, promising to secure the border and end what they call an “invasion.” In contrast, the Democratic platform emphasizes reforming the asylum system and balancing enforcement with humanitarian considerations.

Trump’s border policies during his presidency have focused on reducing unauthorized immigration, including partially building a border wall, expanding enforcement and imposing stricter asylum rules. His controversial “zero tolerance” policy, which led to family separations at the southern border, was widely criticized and eventually abandoned.

Harris supports comprehensive immigration reform, prioritizing humanitarian protections and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including “Dreamers.” She advocates modernizing legal immigration systems and portraying immigration as a benefit to the American economy and society.

Trump and other Republicans accused Harris of failing to implement these policies as vice president, blamed her for the increase in illegal border crossings and called her Biden’s “border czar.”

During the ABC News presidential debate, Trump made baseless claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, which were debunked. He has also promised mass deportations of migrants, a plan that has drawn skepticism from Democrats and some Republicans because of logistical challenges.

For the first time this year, Donald Trump is in the building for a college football game.

The former president and three-time Republican presidential candidate is in Tuscaloosa to attend Saturday night’s game between Alabama and Georgia.

Trump began his day in Wisconsin with a rally that was supposed to take place outside but was moved indoors due to a lack of Secret Service staff.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

He then flew to Alabama to watch the action between the top two SEC programs.

When Trump arrived, dozens of fans were in the concourse of Bryant-Denny Stadium to greet him.

Trump tossed merchandise to fans and many of them chanted “USA” as he entered the stadium.

Last year he attended a game between Iowa and Iowa State and another between Clemson and South Carolina. He also took part in a game at Alabama in 2019.

FANS BOO TIM WALZ AS HE LEAVES THE MICHIGAN-MINNESOTA GAME: “GET OUT!”

Given recent assassination attempts on the former president, including one on his own golf course, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe was asked whether “[these] Types of events are particularly concerning as there could be around tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people in attendance at Saturday’s game. Bryant-Denny Stadium holds over 100,000 people.

But Rowe said his teams “know what they need to do to create a safe environment for our protectees.”

Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly arranged for a Trump troll banner to be displayed during the game.

As The Washington Post reported Saturday, a plane with a message reading “Trump’s Punting in Second Debate” is expected to fly over the stadium during the primetime game.

Alabama beat Georgia 27-24 in the SEC title game last season. That gave the Crimson Tide the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff and eliminated Georgia, which had been the No. 1 seed and had won 42 of its previous 43 games. History appeared to be repeating itself after Alabama took a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

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Harris’ vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attended the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ game against No. 12 Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

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MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Isaac was a Category 2 storm far from land in the North Atlantic on Saturday, while Tropical Storm Joyce continued its path over open water in the eastern Caribbean.

Isaac had maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour (155 km/h) and was located about 645 miles (1,040 kilometers) west-northwest of the Azores archipelago, which lies west of mainland Portugal. It was moving northeast at a speed of 18 miles per hour (30 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center.

Far to the south, Joyce had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and was centered about 1,080 miles (1,735 kilometers) east of the Northern Leeward Islands, which lie on the eastern ring of the Caribbean. The hurricane center reported that it was moving west-northwest at a speed of 9 miles per hour (15 km/h).

Neither storm posed a threat to the country, forecasters said, and both were expected to weaken in the coming days.

Hurricane Helenewhich made landfall early Friday as a Category 4 storm, leaving a huge trail of destruction across the southeastern United States and killing at least 56 people.

For the first time this year, Donald Trump is in the building for a college football game.

The former president and three-time Republican presidential candidate is in Tuscaloosa to attend Saturday night’s game between Alabama and Georgia.

Trump began his day in Wisconsin with a rally that was supposed to take place outside but was moved indoors due to a lack of Secret Service staff.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

He then flew to Alabama to watch the action between the top two SEC programs.

When Trump arrived, dozens of fans were in the concourse of Bryant-Denny Stadium to greet him.

Trump tossed merchandise to fans and many of them chanted “USA” as he entered the stadium.

Last year he attended a game between Iowa and Iowa State and another between Clemson and South Carolina. He also took part in a game at Alabama in 2019.

FANS BOO TIM WALZ AS HE LEAVES THE MICHIGAN-MINNESOTA GAME: “GET OUT!”

Given recent assassination attempts on the former president, including one on his own golf course, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe was asked whether “[these] Types of events are particularly concerning as there could be around tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people in attendance at Saturday’s game. Bryant-Denny Stadium holds over 100,000 people.

But Rowe said his teams “know what they need to do to create a safe environment for our protectees.”

Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly arranged for a Trump troll banner to be displayed during the game.

As The Washington Post reported Saturday, a plane with a message reading “Trump’s Punting in Second Debate” is expected to fly over the stadium during the primetime game.

Alabama beat Georgia 27-24 in the SEC title game last season. That gave the Crimson Tide the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff and eliminated Georgia, which had been the No. 1 seed and had won 42 of its previous 43 games. History appeared to be repeating itself after Alabama took a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Harris’ vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attended the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ game against No. 12 Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage of Xand subscribe the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The eighth-ranked Oregon Ducks will play the UCLA Bruins in their Big Ten Conference debut on Saturday, September 28th.

The game is scheduled to begin at 11:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX. Fans who want to watch this college football game can do so for free on FuboTV, which offers a free trial (and $30 off the first month), or on DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV also offers promotional offers.

• WATCH THE GAME HERE FOR FREE

With a 49-14 win over rival Oregon State, the Ducks finally looked like College Football Playoff contenders and will now look to extend their winning streak to 13. The Bruins showed fight before fading with a 34-17 loss at No. 14 LSU.

WHO: Oregon vs. UCLA

When: Saturday, September 28th at 11pm ET

Where: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California

Electricity: FuboTV (free trial + $30 off your first month); or sling; or DirecTV Stream

What is DirecTV Stream?

DirecTV Stream is an Internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV channels and regional sports networks. DirecTV Stream can be purchased for $79.98/month for the first two months when you sign up for the ENTERTAINMENT package and add the DIRECTV Sports Pack.

What is FuboTV??

FuboTV is a streaming service that has made a name for itself in the live sports market in the United States. It offers a range of pricing plans: The basic plan, the “Pro” package, offers a selection of channels including sports, news and entertainment options like Showtime for $79.99 per month.

What is SlingTV?

Here’s what you can watch on Sling TV, with plans starting at $40: Baseball (MLB), Basketball (NBA, NCAAB), Martial Arts (Boxing, UFC, MMA), Soccer (NCAAF, NFL), Golf, Hockey, Motorsports, Olympics , football, tennis and wrestling.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Getty Images

Dwayne Dias

AFP

With hopes of a clean start in Big 12 play, No. 19 Iowa State (3-0) travels to Houston (1-3) where the teams will play each other in their first conference game. Fox Sports 1 will televise the contest at 6 p.m.

The Cyclones finished non-conference play last week with a solid 52-7 win over Arkansas State that lacked any drama. Iowa State is 3-0 for the second time in three seasons, but Matt Campbell’s program is hoping for a different result than its last one, which followed a five-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Houston continues to sputter within the Big 12. The Cougars’ second season as a Power 4 team included losses to UNLV, Oklahoma and Cincinnati, which included a win over Rice in Week 3. Since last season, Houston has lost eight of its first 10 Big 12 affairs.

Schools in the Clinton system are facing a roofing need that administrators say is getting worse and more costly. Total repair costs are currently estimated at over $11 million.

That was the message John Lowe, executive director of technology and support services for Clinton City Schools, delivered to the Clinton City School Board last week.

Both the city and county school systems have had roofing issues for some time, and Lowe said the estimated cost for four of the five Clinton City schools for total roof repairs is about $11,299,600 supplied.

“Going back to the (state) Needs Based Capital Fund, that window opened Aug. 1 and the filing deadline was Sept. 13,” Lowe said. “We met that deadline and I filled out 14 different applications that Dr. (Linda) Brunson was able to sign together with our district representatives. These applications allocate over $6 million for roofing and I included approximately $2.5 million for HVAC needs.

“There is no guarantee that we will receive funding, but in 2021-22 I received almost $900,000, so we can hope for some support from the state in this area,” he continued prices change.”

The $11 million estimate accounts for every school in need, except the newer Clinton High. Among those numbers were cases, Lowe said, that he considered high priority based on their current condition.

“I needed those estimates to support the grant,” Lowe explained. “So you can see some of the updated numbers as well as places that are high priority for me right now. This is Building 300 at LC Kerr, where multiple leaks have occurred in four of the six classrooms. The next equally high priorities are Sampson Middle, both the academic wing and the gymnasium, and then there is the Sunset Avenue wall.

“That wall, I mean, I don’t sleep on it because we have that dividing brick facade,” Lowe confirmed. “If action is not taken, the brick facade above office wing 800 will eventually fall away, from the upper part to the lower part. We have to deal with it.”

The wall project alone, Lowe said, is estimated to cost about $280,000, money he noted is included in his capital expenditure plan. Although there are plans to make the repairs, Lowe said more help is needed.

“My capital expenditure plan for this school year is to bid and rehabilitate that wall, but we’re going to need some assistance from the Needs Base Public School Capital Funds or an infusion of some (money) from the County Commissioners Fund Balance will help us do that because it will be an expensive project,” emphasized Lowe.

The director also explained in detail how the contractors should repair the wall and when funds will be available for the project.

“The recommendation is to take the brick façade off, replace the windows and install vertical metal roof panels as we are getting water through the current brick façade,” he said. “We made every possible attempt to patch it; We replaced the edging on the bottom and coated the wall with a water repellent to try to contain the problem, but we are now at the point where we have no more paving.”

The Sunset wall isn’t the only place Lowe said she’s at her patch limit.

“We’re also running out of pavers for the 300 Hall at LC Kerr,” he said. “As you know, we keep going back up there and covering the shingles even more and now it looks like a patchwork quilt, but then new leaks keep popping up elsewhere. That’s why I’m sharing these estimates to show where we stand in terms of our roofing needs. This really helped me prepare our applications for the Needs Based Public Schools Capital Funds Grant.”

Regarding the scope of the total roofing needs, Lowe’s provided estimates detailing the estimated 2024 construction costs and the 2024 consulting fee, which were equal to the total cost of the project.

• Butler Avenue – (Building 300) construction $243,000, consulting $19,000; a total of $262,000

• LC Kerr – (gym wall) construction $27,000, consulting $4,000; total $31,000; (300 buildings) $148,500, $12,000; total $160,500; (Building 01.15-Kimbrough Road, end of 200 Hall) $196,500, $16,000; a total of $212,500.

• Sunset Avenue – (Elevation Wall) construction $259,000, consulting $21,000; total $280,000; (Triangular building on Kerr Street side) $636,000, $51,000; a total of $687,000; (Auditorium) $315,000, $25,000; a total of $340,000; (700 Hall at Finch Street) $423,000, $33,800; total $456,800; (Combined Auditorium and Finch Street Hall – not charged as a whole) $738,000, $58,800; a total of $796,800.

• Sampson Middle – (Total area of ​​Sampson Middle – not calculated as a whole) Construction $3,720,000, Consulting $335,000; total $4,055,000; (Academic Wing) Construction $2,025,000, Consulting $162,000; a total of $2,187,000; (Gym Wing) $1,695,000, $136,000; totaling $1,831,000.

Based on these figures, the estimated total construction cost is $10,426,000 with consulting fees at $873,600 for a total cost of $11,299,600. While it is a steep hill to overcome, and while plans are underway to address the worst problems, he stressed that urgent help from other sources continues to be needed.

“There is some good news on LC Kerr, as I mentioned, such as our 2021-22 needs-based funds that I just filed this summer, our recent final reports, and my numbers are exactly the same as theirs. The offers were only slightly below our proposal, which was around $57,000.”

While these funds are only intended for the projects listed on their applications, such as new construction, Lowe said the possibility of using these grants for roof repairs at LC Kerr is an option.

“You (NC DPI) immediately said that we would not like to refund these funds, and I responded that I did not want to refund them either, but according to your information, they can only be used to the extent that was suggested in the grant application.” he said. “They said that’s true, but let me discuss this with my boss Dennis Hilton. Dennis then comes back to me and asks: Are there any other roofing projects at the locations that were included?

Lowe continued: “I said, yes, sir, there is; We have an urgent need at LC Kerr Elementary. It’s far more than what we have left, but would that be eligible?” What ultimately came out of it, and I got this in writing from the Office of School Planning, was that we were going to use the $57,000 that we were awarded for can use the LC Kerr project.

“This is helping us tremendously and I had already budgeted a certain amount for this product,” he added. “I hope the project goes through and receives a fair bid so I can shift the rest of my budget toward the wall at Sunset and both of these issues can be resolved with this capital outlay. That is my intention and then we will tackle the others as best we can, hopefully with the help of the district commissioners.”

Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-249-4231. Follow us on Twitter at @SamsponInd, like us on Facebook and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.