Vice President Kamala Harris was assigned a role that Republicans have called the « border czar, » but it’s a title the White House and her campaign have rejected.
Vice President Kamala Harris is the presumptive 2024 Democratic nominee for president, and one of the issues that has come up in the days since she was endorsed by President Biden is her leadership dealing with the migrant crisis at the southern border. But what is her role, and what is her record?March 2021 — Border orders
Migrant crossings at the southern border, which had been increasing in the last months of the Trump administration, skyrocketed after Biden entered office. Biden also rolled back a number of Trump-era initiatives and attempted to place a moratorium on deportations. With numbers rising quickly, Biden told reporters that Harris would be put in charge of tackling root causes, issues like climate change, poverty and violence the administration believes was driving migrants north.
« There’s about five other major things she’s handling, but I’ve asked her, the VP, today — because she’s the most qualified person to do it — to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that help — are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border », he said.
It quickly led to Harris being dubbed by media outlets and Republicans as the « border czar. » The White House rejected that title, but it has stuck with her ever since and made her a figurehead along with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the crisis.June 2021 — « Do not come »
After the assignment by Biden, and with numbers skyrocketing through subsequent months to record highs, Harris immediately came under pressure to visit the border as the White House said her role was more diplomatic than related to the border directly. She instead went to Mexico and Guatemala and had a stern message for migrants that upset immigrant activists.
« Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our borders », she said. « If you come to our border, you will be turned back. »
Yet the migrants did continue to arrive, and the crisis only grew in the months ahead.June 2021 — « I voted for you »
An awkward moment took place during her trip to Mexico, when she asked a reporter named Maria Fernanda to ask a question during a press conference. But it was actually an activist.
« I voted for you », she said. « My question is, what would you say to these women, those mothers and also women of color on both sides of the border, farmers, many of them who I see every day as a message of hope but also as — what will you do for them in the next coming years? »June 2021 — « I haven’t been to Europe »
As the pressure rose for her to go to the U.S. southern border, Harris pushed back.
« You haven’t been to the border », NBC’s Lester Holt told her, after she claimed she had been to the border.
