U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made a rare visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in an effort to defuse Republican attacks on immigration.
Harris, who last visited the border in 2021, accused Donald Trump of focusing on “scapegoats instead of solutions” and “rhetoric instead of consequences.”
Earlier Friday, the Republican candidate claimed that Harris would be “killed” on the issue and that she supports “the worst bill ever” on border security.
Polls show more Americans trust Trump over Harris on dealing with the border and illegal immigration.
Cochise County, Arizona’s conservative stronghold that became a hotspot for record border crossings last fall, served as the backdrop for Democratic candidates touring the border wall, meeting with local officials and delivering a tough message. Ta.
She claimed that Trump has “done nothing to fix our broken immigration system” as president, and that Republicans have made a “false choice” between border security and a “safe, orderly and humane” immigration system. He added that he is trying to force
“We can and must do both,” she told supporters at a campaign event in Douglas.
Harris vowed to further strengthen the refugee law President Joe Biden enacted earlier this year and restore bipartisan border security measures that Trump helped block.
But local rancher Jim Chilton said he had “seen evidence” of what Harris would do once in power.
“I’ve been watching her and President Biden,” he told the BBC. “We’ve had an open borders policy. We now understand what that actually means.”
Every year, thousands of illegal immigrants walk across Chilton’s 50,000-acre ranch just south of Arivaca.
He has a motion-activated camera that shows a procession of people wearing nearly identical camouflage clothing crossing his land. He believes these include drug dealers and gang members.
Although threatening signs threaten death to trespassers, Chilton also installed drinking fountains to ensure no one dies on the perilous journey.
Last year, three bodies were discovered on his land.
Chilton, a Trump supporter, doesn’t believe Harris will crack down on immigration flows.
“She’s changing her mind just to get votes and lie to us. That’s outrageous,” he said.
In small border towns like Douglas, there is always a concern about stemming the influx.
Homeowners here can walk out their front door and see Mexico through miles of border fence.
One woman said her neighbors built a brick wall around her house to prevent the migrants from hiding in their backyards.
Some Democrats who voted for Harris also said they liked Trump’s approach to the border and felt safer during his presidency.
Last year, several churches and town visitor centers were transformed overnight into temporary shelters to house newcomers.
Since then, the Biden administration has imposed tighter restrictions on asylum claims, and migrant arrivals have fallen to the lowest level in four years.
Gail Kociolek is a dedicated volunteer who drives down to the wall to distribute food and water to people on the Mexican side, usually waiting until dark to return to the United States.
For her, the political approach to immigration is increasingly dehumanizing to people who want a better life in their home country.
She’s disappointed to hear Harris promise to crack down on immigration, but given the choice between her and Trump, Democrats could count on Kociolek’s vote.
Laughing at President Trump’s promise to secure the border, she showed the BBC the cracks in Trump’s wall and where people could climb through the iron fence.
The former president vowed to close the border by completing construction of barriers, increasing enforcement and carrying out the largest mass deportation of illegal immigrants in U.S. history.
But earlier this year, he urged Republicans to repeal the tough, bipartisan border bill that Biden and Harris supported.
“This is the worst bill ever. It’s a waste of paper,” President Trump told supporters at a rally in Walker, Michigan, a battleground state early Friday.
President Trump denied lobbying his congressional allies to block the bill, claiming Harris “wanted to see if she could save it and fabricate a lie.”
“She went to the border today because she was afraid she would be killed at the border,” he said.
In a statement after Harris’ event, the Trump campaign characterized the trip as a “stop by” and “photo op.”
The border crisis is a major weakness for Harris.
As vice president, she does not directly set border policy but is responsible for addressing the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Her efforts targeted systemic issues such as poverty, corruption and violence that have long driven many people from these regions to make the dangerous journey to the United States.
It’s too early to tell whether her two-part strategy of strengthening democratic institutions and encouraging business leaders to invest in the region is working, but Harris is largely responsible for the rising immigration trend. There is.
As a candidate, she highlighted her experience as a prosecutor during her time as California Attorney General, particularly in investigating transnational and cartel organizations, and emphasized her approach to tackling immigration-related challenges.
Her recent comments, which largely align with Biden’s emphasis on border security and law enforcement, reflect how the politics of the issue has shifted noticeably to the right.
Her biggest challenge in trying to convince voters that she has a plan is finding an approach that balances the legal and humanitarian aspects of the immigration system.