On border tour, Harris cites ‘progress’ in ‘tough’ situation
EL PASO, Texas — Vice President Kamala Harris asserted Friday that the Biden administration had made progress tackling a migration spike that’s drawn fire from Republicans and made fellow Democrats uncomfortable. Her first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border as head of the Biden administration’s response is being closely watched on all sides.
Visiting El Paso, Harris called the situation at the border “tough” and said more work is needed, anchored in a thorough understanding of why migrants leave their homes.
She met with five young girls, ages 9-16, who had been held at a Customs and Border Protection processing center after crossing the border, the White House said, before visiting the border itself at the Paso del Norte Port of Entry.
Harris has devoted much of her time in her new role to addressing what she calls the “root causes” of migration, namely poverty, crime and corruption in Central
America.
“The stories that I heard today reinforce the nature of those root causes,” she said, adding, “It is going to require, as we have been doing, a comprehensive approach that acknowledges each piece of this.”
Meeting with migrant children reminded her that “this issue cannot be reduced to a political issue,” Harris said.
“We’re talking about children, we’re talking about families, we’re talking about suffering. And our approach has to be thoughtful and effective,” she continued.
During a meeting with faith-based organizations, as well as shelter and legal service providers, Harris said she and Biden “inherited a tough situation.”
But she maintained that “in five months we’ve made progress ... there’s still more work to be done, but we’ve made progress.”
The vice president has faced increasing criticism from members of both parties for deferring the trip until now and for her muddied explanations as to why.
“It was always the plan to come here, and I think we’re gonna have a good productive day,” Harris said after arriving into El Paso.
Republicans have seized on the absence of both Harris and President Joe Biden from the border to paint the administration as indifferent to border security, seeking to revive a potent political weapon against Democrats for the 2022 midterm elections. With former President Donald Trump visiting the area less than a week after Harris, Republicans will be watching the vice president’s visit closely for fodder they can use in political attacks.
Other administration officials have made multiple visits to the border, but the absence of Biden and Harris has Democrats worried. There’s concern that the Biden administration has ceded the border security debate to Republicans.
“The administration is making Democrats look weak,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. “I’ve heard, from Democrats and Republicans in my area, what the heck is going on with this administration?”