Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit Douglas, Arizona, on Friday, marking her first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris plans to deliver remarks calling for tougher border security measures and emphasizing the need for rules at the border to be enforced. She will stress the importance of Border Patrol agents having more resources and combatting the flow of fentanyl, proposing adding fentanyl detection machines to ports of entry along the border and urging the Chinese government to crack down on companies making precursor chemicals for fentanyl.
In addition to advocating for stronger border security, Harris will also push for an immigration system that is safe, orderly, and humane. The Biden administration is planning to amend asylum restrictions at the southern border that were put in place over the summer, making it less likely for those restrictions to be lifted in the near future. These measures have been credited with reducing illegal border crossings in recent months. Harris is seeking to make gains on former President Donald Trump on border issues, with a recent poll showing that a majority of likely voters consider the U.S.-Mexico border a major factor in deciding who to vote for.
Trump and Republicans have historically campaigned on the need for strong border security and have attempted to shift blame onto Harris for the increase in illegal crossings during the Biden administration. Trump criticized Harris’ border visit, suggesting she should focus on closing the border instead. Harris plans to argue that Trump was responsible for undermining a bipartisan border bill that aimed to enact permanent asylum restrictions and provide additional resources for border security. Trump referred to the legislation as an “amnesty bill” and claimed it would allow for high levels of immigration and citizenship.
Despite Harris’ efforts to push for the bipartisan border bill, Trump and Senate Republicans rejected the measure earlier this year. The bill also included executive authority to turn away migrants during spikes in illegal immigration and would have expanded legal immigration levels. Harris plans to highlight the need for a president who prioritizes border security over political games and will emphasize the importance of addressing the issue in a comprehensive manner. Camilo Montoya-Galvez contributed to the report, and Nidia Cavazos is a campaign reporter for CBS News providing coverage on the border trip.
