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A26 u.s. news
Diasabra 26 Juni 2021

On border tour, Harris laments 'infighting' over immigration

them to stay home rather Mexican border in May, the
than make the journey to the most since March 2000. The
U.S.. numbers were boosted by a
coronavirus pandemic-relat-
Republicans have tried to ed ban on seeking asylum,
paint the administration as which encouraged repeated
indifferent to border security, attempts to cross because get-
seeking to revive a potent po- ting caught carried no legal
litical weapon against Demo- consequences.
crats for the 2022 midterm
elections. Trump plans to Republicans jumped on
visit the area less than a week those figures to attack Biden
after Harris, and he’s certain and Harris as weak on border
to seize on her trip to keep security. Administration offi-
driving the GOP narrative. cials, including Harris, refute
Other administration of- the charge. Harris repeatedly
ficials have made multiple sent a message to migrants
visits to the border, but the during her recent visit to
absence of Biden and Har- Guatemala: “Do not come.”
ris had left some Democrats
worried that damage already But those comments drew
has been done. There’s con- fire from some progressives,
cern that the Biden adminis- most notably New York Rep.
(AP) — Vice President El Paso that she had said in While Cruz said he was glad tration has ceded the border Alexandria Ocasio Cortez,
Kamala Harris on Friday March that she would come Harris had visited, “if the security debate to Republi- who called the message “dis-
used her first trip to the to the border and it was “not vice president came to Texas cans. appointing.”
U.S.-Mexico border since a new plan.” without a concrete plan to It was an incident that under-
taking office to call for an secure our border and is un- “The administration is mak- scored the political no-win
end to political “rhetoric” And she said the choice of El willing to reverse her admin- ing Democrats look weak,” situation for Harris, taking
and “infighting” over im- Paso was meant to underscore istration’s failed immigration said Texas Democratic Rep. on an intractable problem
migration, an issue that a shift to a more humane ap- policies that caused the crisis, Henry Cuellar in an in- that’s frustrated past ad-
Republicans have been ea- proach to immigration policy then her visit is nothing short terview with The Associ- ministrations and has been
ger to weaponize against by the Biden administration of a glorified photo-op.” ated Press. “I’ve heard, from used by both parties to drive
her. after the hardline stance of Democrats and Republicans wedges and turnout during
former President Donald Trump said on Friday in an in my area, what the heck is campaign season. If Biden
Immigration “cannot be re- Trump. interview with the conserva- going on with this adminis- chooses not to run for a sec-
duced to a political issue,” tive outlet Newsmax that “I tration?” ond term, Harris will be seen
Harris told reporters. “We’re “It is here in El Paso that the think she should go to the as the leading contender to
talking about children, we’re previous administration’s real part of the border, not a Cuellar’s district spans from replace him, and the immi-
talking about families, we’re child separation policy was part of the border that’s sel- south of San Antonio to the gration issue could become
talking about suffering. unveiled,” she said. She also dom violated.” U.S.-Mexico border, and last either a chance to showcase
And our approach has to be noted Trump’s “remain in year he won reelection by the her accomplishments or an
thoughtful and effective.” Mexico” policy, which forced Harris has borne the brunt slimmest margin of his near- albatross.
asylum seekers to wait on the of attacks from Republi- ly two-decade-long career.
Harris’s trip came after other side of the border for cans over immigration since While he says he’s not wor- During a meeting with faith-
months of criticism from their claims to be adjudicated. Biden assigned her to lead ried about his own reelec- based organizations, as well
Republicans and some in the administration’s efforts tion, he adds, “I worry about as shelter and legal service
her own party over her ab- “We have seen the disaster to address the root causes of my colleagues.” providers, Harris said she
sence and that of President that resulted from that here migration to the U.S. from and Biden “inherited a tough
Joe Biden from the border in El Paso,” she said. countries like Mexico, El Sal- Biden’s first few months in situation.’”
at a time when immigration vador and Guatemala. She’s office have seen record num-
officers have logged record Harris visited the region with emphasized that her focus is bers of migrants attempt- But she maintained that “in
numbers of encounters with Homeland Security Secretary on improving conditions for ing to cross the border. U.S. five months we’ve made
migrants attempting to cross Alejandro Mayorkas, Texas residents of those countries Customs and Border Pro- progress...there’s still more
into the U.S. Democratic Rep. Veronica through economic and hu- tection logged more than work to be done, but we’ve
Escobar and Illinois Demo- manitarian aid, to encourage 180,000 encounters on the made progress.”
Her half-day stop — in cratic Sen. Dick Durbin, a
which she toured a Customs prominent Democratic voice
and Border Protection pro- on immigration reform. Both
cessing center and met with Mayorkas and Escobar said
migrant children there, vis- they invited Harris specifical-
ited an intake center on the ly to the area, and Mayorkas
border and held a roundtable was quick to emphasize that
with local service providers border security is in his port-
— is unlikely to quell GOP folio, not the vice president’s.
efforts to use immigration as
a political cudgel against the But Republicans faulted
administration. Harris for a trip that they dis-
missed as little more than a
Harris defended both the photo session. Texas Sen. Ted
timing of her visit and the Cruz, a conservative Repub-
choice of El Paso for the stop. lican and leading administra-
Some critics had said the lo- tion critic on immigration,
cation is too far removed charged that Biden’s policies
from the epicenter of border “opened the floodgates to
crossings creating a strain on human smugglers and drug
federal resources. She told cartels.”
reporters after landing in