Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Douglas, Arizona, on Friday. Harris has only visited the border a few times during her tenure as the Biden administration's “border czar.” He continues to face strong criticism from Republicans who say he has failed to effectively manage the border crisis. The trip is part of a broader effort to improve her record on border security and immigration reform. Harris aims to position herself as the most qualified candidate to address these complex issues.
Is Trump responsible?
According to a report in the Daily Beast, a senior Harris campaign official said Harris plans to send the following message:
The American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than political gamesmanship.
The report continues,
Harris has turned the tables, spotlighting her leadership role last spring in revoking the bipartisan agreement to curb illegal border crossings (S.4361, the Border Act of 2024) and increasing He plans to blame the former president for the immigration crisis.
Harris has repeatedly accused former President Donald Trump of undermining support for the bill and thereby preventing a resolution to the current border crisis, which likely stems from the large numbers of immigrants introduced under the Trump administration. It is believed that the cause is subversive policy.
“Tough” Harris
Harris will sharply differentiate her approach from Trump's by highlighting Trump's obstruction of bipartisan immigration reform efforts. She aims to present herself as a candidate who offers practical solutions to the ongoing challenges surrounding immigration.
According to the report,
(Harris) will tout her experience as a former prosecutor in charge of drug and human smuggling cartels and announce that stopping the flow of deadly fentanyl across the border will be a “top priority,” the campaign said. the executive said. Harris proposes adding new fentanyl detection equipment at U.S. points of entry.
Some reports say Harris intends to highlight the administration's recent executive actions. She is expected to argue that these actions have led to major “progress” in reducing immigration.
Ahead of Harris' visit, her campaign launched a new ad titled “Never Backed Down.” The ad outlines her plan to “hire thousands more border agents, enforce our laws, and enhance technology.”
What's the deal?
The “bipartisan agreement” that Harris cites as a key tool to address the border crisis is the Border Act of 2024 (S.4361). The bill was introduced in May 2024 by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut). The bill is ostensibly aimed at addressing both border security and the growing problem of fentanyl trafficking. The bill would increase emergency spending to strengthen border security. It focuses on modernizing enforcement capabilities and improving the efficiency of the U.S. immigration system. To speed up case processing, the bill calls for more immigration judges and staff. We are also dedicating additional resources to detecting and interdicting fentanyl smuggling at U.S. points of entry.
Importantly, the bill provides emergency powers to control border crossings if certain thresholds are reached. When the average number of people crossing the border per day is 5,000 or more, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can take immediate action to manage border controls in a crisis situation.
The bill also includes measures to build a border wall, speed up deportations and increase immigration detention.
Reason for failure
President Trump urged Republicans to veto the bill, but it ultimately died in the Senate in May 2024 due to a lack of bipartisan support. Both Republicans and Democrats opposed the bill for different reasons. Many Republicans felt the bill was too lenient, especially the provisions that would allow asylum seekers to work and give legal status to certain undocumented groups. They believed these measures would encourage illegal immigration. Critics further argued that the bill prioritizes funding for migrant processing and service delivery over strengthening border security.
On the Democratic side, progressives objected to the bill's focus on enforcement measures such as stricter asylum standards and stronger immigration detention, deeming it too similar to Trump-era policies. They also criticized the bill for failing to address the root causes of migration, such as economic instability in Central America, and for lacking sufficient humanitarian provisions.
Mr. Harris' border visit record
Harris' next trip to Douglas will be at least her third trip to the border. She made her first border trip in June 2021, visiting El Paso, Texas, where she met with local officials and toured border facilities. The trip comes after months of pressure from Republicans for ignoring the border crisis despite being tasked with overseeing the administration's border policy. Her visit was seen as a response to growing criticism that not enough was being done to address growing challenges at the southern border. At the time, Harris emphasized her role in addressing the root causes of immigration rather than directly managing border security.
Her second trip took place in February 2023, when she traveled to San Diego, California, to meet with Border Patrol agents and discuss efforts to combat drug trafficking. Harris sought to use the trip to once again quell criticism from both Republicans and moderate Democrats. Both men argued at the time that the government was not doing enough to reduce illegal border crossings.
The third trip comes at a critical time for Harris, who is seeking to renew her image as a “tough” but fair leader on immigration ahead of a 2024 election.
Trump: Why didn't she fix it?
In a last-minute appearance in New York City on Thursday, President Trump launched a blistering attack on Harris ahead of her scheduled visit. President Trump accused “Comrade Harris” of “destroying our country” and said, “Our country has never been so under siege.”
Trump's comments cast Harris as the architect of a crisis that has brought “suffering, misery and death” to the United States, The Hill reported. For example, Trump claimed that Harris ordered an immediate halt to border wall construction. He also criticized the country's policy of allowing asylum seekers to remain free while awaiting immigration proceedings. In closing, President Trump accused Harris of exacerbating the border crisis, saying, “She has probably done the worst job in the history of the border.”
