Vice President Kamala Harris is facing criticism from House Republicans for her visit to Douglas, Arizona, a key battleground border town just before the upcoming election. Many GOP lawmakers from border districts accuse Harris of prioritizing photo opportunities over real results in addressing the migrant crisis. They have long held the Biden administration responsible for the record number of illegal border crossings since Democrats took office. Harris’ handling of the border is a significant political issue for Republicans, with some suggesting that the crisis is a deliberate consequence of the administration’s policies.
Democrats, including candidates like Harris, have shifted their approach to border security in the run-up to the 2024 election to appeal to moderate and independent voters. They emphasize the need for effective border security measures while also highlighting President Biden’s executive actions on asylum that have led to a decrease in illegal border crossings in recent months. Despite this, the Biden administration has still seen a spike in illegal crossings during its tenure, with a record 2.2 million border encounters in 2022. This issue has divided Democrats and Republicans on how to address border security effectively.
Harris has highlighted her support for a border security plan that was rejected by Republican lawmakers earlier this year, with Democrats accusing the GOP of thwarting the legislation to play politics. Harris is expected to address Trump’s role in obstructing progress on border security in her remarks on Friday, advocating for tougher measures while criticizing the former president’s policies. The campaign for Harris also stated that she will outline her plan to address border security and the fentanyl crisis as opposed to Trump’s failure to improve the immigration system.
Despite the criticisms from Republicans, Harris has not visited the border since 2021 when she was appointed to tackle the root causes of mass migration, earning her the title of “border czar”. The Trump campaign dismissed Harris’ last-minute trip to the border as a political move ahead of the election, suggesting that it will not erase the chaos and crime caused by her open border policies. The visit from Harris is seen as an attempt to regain support in Arizona where polls show she is struggling, but Republicans view the trip as too little, too late to address the ongoing crisis at the border.
