Kamala Harris finally jets off to meet migrants on the US-Mexico border

Vice President Kamala Harris today jetted off to meet migrants and visit a border patrol facility on the US-Mexico border, following criticism from Republicans that she has been too slow to visit the region.

Harris, 56, boarded an Air Force Two on Friday morning to travel to El Paso, Texas, from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, in her first visit to the US-Mexico border since becoming Vice President five months ago.

Her trip to El Paso was announced on Wednesday and appeared to have been hastily put together days before a visit to the border by former President Donald Trump. 

The visit comes after months of criticism from Republicans that she has been too slow to visit the region as part of her role addressing the root causes of immigration, and for her muddied explanations as to why.

Biden’s first few months in office have seen record numbers of migrants attempting to cross the border, with more than 180,000 encounters taking place on the Mexican border in May.

Vice President Kamala Harris (pictured) today finally jetted off to meet migrants and visit a border patrol facility on the US-Mexico border

Vice President Kamala Harris (pictured) today finally jetted off to meet migrants and visit a border patrol facility on the US-Mexico border

Harris, 56, boarded an Air Force Two on Friday morning to travel to El Paso, Texas, (pictured) in her first visit to the US-Mexico border since becoming Vice President five months ago

 Harris, 56, boarded an Air Force Two on Friday morning to travel to El Paso, Texas, (pictured) in her first visit to the US-Mexico border since becoming Vice President five months ago

Former President Trump has already claimed credit for her decision to go while Republicans have preemptively hammered Harris over her border visit.

During the trip, Harris will tour a Customs and Border Patrol processing center, hold a conversation with immigrant-rights advocates and deliver remarks.

Harris will be joined in El Paso by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee Dick Durbin and Democratic Representative from Texas Veronica Escobar. 

Republicans have seized on the absence of both Harris and President Joe Biden from the border to paint the administration as weak on border security, seeking to revive a potent political weapon against Democrats in time for the 2022 midterm elections.

Theresa Cardinal Brown, managing director of immigration and cross-border policy for Washington-based think tank Bipartisan Policy Center, said many Republicans have embraced the hardline immigration policies of former President Donald Trump.

‘They believe that is something that can win them seats in 2022, so of course they’re going to play it up,’ she said. ‘They’re going to try to make it an issue.’

Her trip to El Paso (pictured today) was announced on Wednesday and appeared to have been hastily put together days before a visit to the border by former President Donald Trump

 Her trip to El Paso (pictured today) was announced on Wednesday and appeared to have been hastily put together days before a visit to the border by former President Donald Trump

Harris will be accompanied to El Paso by Democratic Representative from Texas Veronica Escobar (both pictured) and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee Dick Durbin

Harris will be accompanied to El Paso by Democratic Representative from Texas Veronica Escobar (both pictured) and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee Dick Durbin

As former President Trump, 75, is due to visit the same after in less than a week, Republicans will be watching Harris’ visit closely for fodder for further attacks.

Harris, who previously visited the US-Mexico border as a senator and attorney general from California, was assailed by Republicans when she visited Mexico and Guatemala this month as part of efforts to lower migration from the region to the US.

During the trip, Harris said she would visit the US-Mexico border in the near future but was focused on ‘tangible results’ and ‘opposed to grand gestures’.

On Thursday, White House officials said Harris’ trip earlier this year was about ‘root causes’ of migration while her border trip is about the ‘effects’ of immigration.

Harris’ spokesperson, Symone Sanders said: ‘The Vice President’s trip to Guatemala and Mexico earlier this year was about the root causes, and this border visit is about the effects.

‘Both trips will inform the administration’s root causes strategy.’ 

For months, officials have said Harris’ efforts to stem immigration from Central America are focused on diplomacy and are distinct from the security issues at the border. 

But a White House official, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters that there wasn’t a change in strategy, despite the latest comments on Thursday.

‘She has always said she will visit the border but it was more like “when is it the right time”,’ the official said.

The official also said Harris’s schedule is not dictated by what former President Donald Trump does, adding: ‘I can assure you we don’t take our cues from the former President.’

The visit (pictured boarding place) comes after months of criticism from Republicans that she has been too slow to visit the region as part of her role addressing the causes of immigration

The visit (pictured boarding place) comes after months of criticism from Republicans that she has been too slow to visit the region as part of her role addressing the causes of immigration

Republicans seized on the absence of Harris and President Biden from the border to paint the administration as weak on border security. Pictured: Harris speaks to Lt. Col Richard Hulun as she boards plane

Republicans seized on the absence of Harris and President Biden from the border to paint the administration as weak on border security. Pictured: Harris speaks to Lt. Col Richard Hulun as she boards plane

Although various administration officials have visited to the border, the absence of Biden and Harris has left some Democrats worried that damage has already been done.

‘The administration is making Democrats look weak,’ said Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.

‘I’ve heard, from Democrats and Republicans in my area, what the heck is going on with this administration?’

Cuellar’s district spans from south of San Antonio to the US-Mexico border, and last year he won re-election by the slimmest margin of his nearly two-decade-long career.

While he said he is not worried about his own upcoming re-election fight, he added: ‘I worry about my colleagues.’

His comments reflect a broader concern among some Democrats and immigration activists that the Biden administration has ceded the border security debate to Republicans.

Biden’s first few months in office have seen record numbers of migrants attempting to cross the border.

US Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 180,000 encounters on the Mexican border in May, the most since March 2000. 

Those numbers were boosted by a Covid pandemic-related ban on seeking asylum, which encouraged repeated attempts to cross the border because getting caught carried no legal consequences.

During the trip, Harris (pictured with Lt. Col Richard Hulun boarding plane) will tour a Customs and Border Patrol processing center and hold a conversation with immigrant-rights advocates

During the trip, Harris (pictured with Lt. Col Richard Hulun boarding plane) will tour a Customs and Border Patrol processing center and hold a conversation with immigrant-rights advocates

With former President Donald Trump visiting the area in less than a week, Republicans will be watching the vice president's (pictured) visit closely for fodder for further attacks

With former President Donald Trump visiting the area in less than a week, Republicans will be watching the vice president’s (pictured) visit closely for fodder for further attacks

US Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 180,000 encounters with migrants on the Mexican border in May, the most since March 2000. Pictured: Harris greets Alejandro Mayorkas, Veronica Escobar and Sen. Dick Durbin

US Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 180,000 encounters with migrants on the Mexican border in May, the most since March 2000. Pictured: Harris greets Alejandro Mayorkas, Veronica Escobar and Sen. Dick Durbin

Republicans have seized on those figures to attack Biden and Harris as weak on border security, a message the GOP used with success during the 2020 campaign.

Administration officials, including Harris, have sought to push back against that perception, with Harris repeatedly sending the message ‘do not come’ to migrants during her recent visit to Guatemala.

But those comments drew fire from some progressives, most notably New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who called the message ‘disappointing’.

It underscored the political no-win situation Harris finds herself in while tackling immigration, a problem that’s bedeviled past administrations and been used by both parties to drive wedges and turnout during campaign season.

If Biden chooses not to run for a second term, Harris will be seen as the leading contender, and the immigration issue could become a chance for her to showcase her accomplishments or an albatross. 

Harris advisers have been careful to emphasize that her main focus related to immigration is addressing the root causes of migration. 

She has been seeking economic and humanitarian solutions to improve conditions for residents of Central and North American countries who flee to the US.

Her aides have framed her trip to the border as part of an effort to better understand how to solve the problem.

‘What happens at the border matters, and is directly connected to what is happening in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras,’ said Harris spokeswoman Symone Sanders. ‘It is directly connected to the work of addressing the root causes of migration.’

Harris advisers have emphasized that her focus related to immigration is addressing the root causes of migration. Pictured: Harris greets (L-R) Alejandro Mayorkas, Veronica Escobar and Dick Durbin

Harris advisers have emphasized that her focus related to immigration is addressing the root causes of migration. Pictured: Harris greets (L-R) Alejandro Mayorkas, Veronica Escobar and Dick Durbin

Harris will be joined in El Paso by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (pictured) and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee Dick Durbin

Harris will be joined in El Paso by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (pictured) and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee Dick Durbin

Although various administration officials have made multiple visits to the border, the absence of Biden and Harris has left some Democrats worried that damage already has been done. Pictured: Harris boarding plane with Lt. Col Hulun

 Although various administration officials have made multiple visits to the border, the absence of Biden and Harris has left some Democrats worried that damage already has been done. Pictured: Harris boarding plane with Lt. Col Hulun

Harris had no plans to visit the migrant detention facility at the Fort Bliss military post, which has drawn criticism from advocates who have described unsafe conditions and allegations of abuse toward some of the thousands of children housed there.

Cuellar called her decision to visit El Paso ‘politically safe,’ because, he said, most of the activity at the border happens farther south.

Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, a Latino civil rights organization, expressed concerns that Harris’s visit was ‘a day late and a dollar short.’

‘It almost feels like they’re being kind of forced into it by the local communities, as well as the Republicans’ political attacks from the right,’ Garcia said.

But, Garcia said he was glad she was going, and expressed optimism that her visit could help the Biden administration correct its course on the immigration issue and show a contrast to the Trump administration’s hardline stance on border security.

‘They should own this, and they should solve it, because it does need a bipartisan solution,’ he said.

source: dailymail.co.uk