A new television ad from former President Donald Trump’s campaign targets Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration, using deception and misinformation. The ad falsely claims that Harris has promised amnesty for 10 million migrants she has allowed in as border czar, making them eligible for Social Security. The ad attributes a quote to the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors reducing immigration, stating that Harris’ amnesty imposes large costs on Social Security. However, the claims made in the ad are inaccurate and Harris has not promised legal status to all migrants who have entered the country during her vice presidency.
Furthermore, the ad inaccurately refers to Harris as a border czar, when in reality she is focused on addressing the root causes of migration from Central American countries, not border security. The claim that 10 million migrants have been allowed in during Harris’ vice presidency is also an exaggeration, as the actual number is closer to six million. The ad misrepresents the facts surrounding Harris’ immigration policies and the number of migrants admitted during her time as vice president.
While Harris has expressed support for a pathway to citizenship for a specific group of undocumented individuals, she has not provided many policy specifics on immigration. Her pledge to sign a bipartisan border security bill and create an earned pathway to citizenship indicates her intention to provide legal status to some undocumented individuals. However, it remains unclear which group of undocumented people Harris intends to include in her proposed policies.
The Trump campaign’s claim that Harris has promised amnesty for migrants who have arrived during her vice presidency lacks substantial evidence. While Harris has shown support for certain amnesty proposals in the past, it is uncertain if her future programs would specifically include recent arrivals. Without concrete policy proposals from Harris, the ad’s assertion that she has promised amnesty for recent migrants is unfounded and misleading.
The Center for Immigration Studies clarified that the quote attributed to the organization in the ad is not accurate. While the organization has analyzed the potential costs of amnesty programs on Social Security and Medicare, their analysis did not mention Harris specifically. Despite past support for amnesty proposals and indications of future support from Harris, it is important to distinguish between advocacy for certain policies and claims that specific promises have been made. Overall, the ad from the Trump campaign misrepresents Harris’ immigration stance and presents inaccurate information regarding her policy proposals.
