Since being appointed by President Biden as the border czar in 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris has faced significant criticism for not making frequent visits to the U.S.-Mexico border. Harris made a single, brief trip to El Paso in June 2021, which has remained a focal point for Republicans and critics who accuse her of neglecting her role in addressing the nation’s border crisis.
This latest trip was part of her efforts to counter ongoing criticism about her handling of border issues. In Douglas, Harris addressed concerns surrounding fentanyl smuggling, a significant topic in the ongoing immigration debate.
The trip involved discussions with border officials and a publicized interaction with a mother who lost her son to a fentanyl overdose, signaling a more personal approach to border security issues. The visit was also seen as a strategic move to bolster her stance on border security ahead of the 2024 elections(Southern Oregon Public Radio)(Nevada Public Radio | KNPR).
Despite this recent activity, many critics point to the fact that Harris has largely avoided the border throughout her tenure as border czar, particularly given the ongoing concerns about illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Republican opponents, including former President Donald Trump, have used this absence to argue that the Biden administration has failed to prioritize border security
This marks only her second visit to the border since being appointed by President Joe Biden over three years ago to oversee border-related issues.
During the event, Harris criticized former President Donald Trump for worsening border challenges, stating, “He made the challenges at the border worse and is still fanning the flames of fear and division.”
She promised that, if elected president in 2024, she would focus on strengthening border security, reducing illegal crossings, and deporting those not seeking asylum legally.
Harris also hinted at a potential “mass amnesty,” contrasting Trump’s strict immigration policies. Despite her promises, the visit sparked criticism from Trump and the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC).
.@kamalaharris' border speech is one of the most ludicrous ever delivered in American history. She pontificated on her so-called accomplishments and prattled on about how seriously she takes border security. Kamala can't be serious. pic.twitter.com/FMuBBhI51U
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) September 28, 2024
The National Border Patrol Council, which represents Border Patrol agents, criticized Harris for neglecting the border issue throughout her time in office.
In a statement, the NBPC said, “Vice President Harris has ignored the border problem she created for over three years. She goes down there for 20 minutes for a photo op and decides to repeat some of the things the NBPC has said before. But again, where has she been the last 3 1/2 years?”
Vice president Harris has ignored the border problem she created for over three years. She goes down there for 20 minutes for a photo op and decides to repeat some of the things the NPBC has said before. But again, where has she been the last 3 1/2 years?
— Border Patrol Union – NBPC (@BPUnion) September 28, 2024
VP Harris asserted in Arizona that CBP needed more resources.
We have apprehended over 8 million illegal immigrants over the last 4 years and now you realize we need more help 38 days before the election.
— Border Patrol Union – NBPC (@BPUnion) September 28, 2024
Kamala Harris claimed to help helped Border Patrol get increased pay for overtime.
The American people deserve a President who cares more about border security than playing political games.
As president, I will bring back up the border security bill that Donald Trump sabotaged, and I will proudly sign it into law. pic.twitter.com/l1QiZ0Tikv
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 28, 2024
The Border Patrol Union says this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Fact check on Harris speech in Douglas, Arizona:
Today, VP Harris claimed that she played a role in increasing Border Patrol Agent overtime pay.
This couldn't be further from the truth. As with all things border related she was no where to be found when we needed her.
— Border Patrol Union – NBPC (@BPUnion) September 28, 2024
The statistics from Harris’s time in office have not helped her case.
Since taking on the role of overseeing the border, illegal crossings have surged, with estimates suggesting more than 12 million people have entered the country during her tenure.
Among these, there have been numerous reports of violent offenders, including rapists and convicted murderers, slipping through the system.
https://t.co/eZnvdOJmhp pic.twitter.com/dNi40xEKI1
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2024
Former President Donald Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent border visit in a Truth Social post, accusing her of enabling dangerous criminals to enter the country.
“Comrade Kamala Harris, who allowed almost 14,000 MURDERERS to freely and openly roam our Country, is now making a speech in Douglas, Arizona, trying to say she did an OK job with the Border. She didn’t,” Trump wrote.
He further called Harris “the Worst Vice President in History, and the Worst Border Czar in History,” claiming her policies have caused daily fatalities.
While Harris recently promised stricter deportation measures and reinforced border security, critics argue that her proposals are too late.
They question why, after nearly four years as vice president, she has not pursued these changes and instead leaned toward more lenient immigration policies.
As the 2024 election approaches, immigration remains a key issue, with Harris attempting to distance herself from the Biden administration’s border handling. However, Trump and other critics are intensifying their attacks on her record.
Kamala Harris is a complete fraud whose campaign can be summed up in a 13 second video. pic.twitter.com/dtQHMFeC2Q
— MAZE (@mazemoore) September 28, 2024
Just what the Border Patrol Union has said, In over 3-1/2 years of Kamala being the Border Czar she was never to be found but for a Photo Op, and she claims she got Border Patrol pay raises and more manpower.?
That’s further from the truth.! They got nothing, and Kamala, turned our border Patrol into nothing more than baby siters for illegal children. She has blamed President Trump, constantly on everything that she and Biden’s destruction of the economy with help from the Circus clown show the Communist Democrats and Rinos call an Administration,, While the Muslim puppet master Obama, continues calling the shots to finish the destruction of America.! And now she claims she will fix the border if Elected President.?
Just before an election.?
Here’s a message to all you stupid dumbass Communist voter’s,, It Won’t Get FIXED.!! AND NEITHER WILL THE ECONOMY IF THE WHORE GETS IN.!!!
How stupid are the Kamala supporters that they believe the continued obvious lies she spews every time she speaks. It’s amazing how the Democrats continue to claim that Trump and his supporters are guilty of spreading misinformation when the fact is they themselves are the biggest hypocrites and offenders of doing that exact thing. Preserving Democracy my ass! Lying bunch of POS’s- every single one!
If Harris wants to be president so bad let her talk about things that matter: TERM LIMITS, for all elected or appointed gov. employees. Replace i.r.s. with FAIR TAX. Photo I.D. to vote in the country for any job including dog catcher, (good job for her & biden). Make Election Day a holiday. Secure both borders. On Montana borders there are places the security is a saw horse. I used to live there. Convention of states is a good idea. Eliminate the board of education. Education should be up to the local P.T.A. Have I left anything out?
Fk the DHS, Border Patrol and ICE and here’s why!!
DHS, Border Patrol and ICE are following past Obama and Biden ILLEGAL MEMO’s and EXECUTIVE ORDERS instead of existing US immigration laws.
The complicit cowards are protecting their pensions NOT the US Border!
………………
Border Patrol Dudes,
Your job is NOT to follow Xiden’s and Obama’s past immigration E.O.’s! They are NOT law and can be ignored!
Dereliction of duty is a specific offense under United States Code Title 10, Section 892, Article 92 and applies to all branches of the US military. A service member who is derelict has willfully refused to perform his duties or has incapacitated himself in such a way that he cannot perform his duties.
DO YOUR REAL JOB AND STOP WHINING!!
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I still remember Obama’s smirk after he mentioned “fundamental transformation” in his speech to the ig’nate Iowa farmers in the 2008 Iowa Democratic primary!