Texas Governor Greg Abbott said state authorities are reinforcing the border along the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez sector with "triple-strand" razor wire.
The governor has linked the decision with President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the 2024 elections and endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris.
Abbott is among several Republicans seeking to convey the message that Harris did a poor job when tasked with reducing migration by addressing what the administration defined as the "root causes," namely poverty and insecurity in Central American countries.
"Joe Biden has now endorsed and fully supports his 'Border Czar,' Kamala Harris, to be the Democratic candidate for president. I think I will need to triple the border wall, razor wire barriers, and the National Guard on the border," said Abbott after Biden made his announcement. He announced he had followed through a few days later.
There it is.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 23, 2024
We are tripling the razor wire border barrier.
BIG thanks to the Texas National Guard & Guard sent from other states.https://t.co/UAFUuc0V8C
Abbott is among several Texas Republicans who have sought to convey the message ever since Biden's endorsement of Harris. Another official is Sen. Ted Cruz, who said that on a scale of 1 to 100, he'd rate Harris' involvement with dealing with unauthorized migration a "negative 6,003," according to a report by the Texas Tribune.
"She has presided over the worst invasion of the United States of America in the history of our country, 11.5 million people," Cruz said. "And it's deliberate. She wanted this to happen. Joe Biden wanted this to happen."
Similarly, state Rep. Charles Cunningham criticized Harris for not visiting the border more often during her tenure as VP, claiming that during his trips to Rio Grande, he was stunned to see migrants from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. And House GOP Chair Elise Stefanik introduced a resolution condemning the administration and its "Border Czar" for failing to secure the country.
However, unlike the GOP officials allege, Harris was not tasked to be the administration's "border czar" or to oversee immigration policy and enforcement in the U.S.-Mexico border. That role is mainly given to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and his department, which oversees the country's main three immigration agencies, including Customs and Border Protection.
Under her assignment, Harris has primarily been focused on convincing companies to invest in Central America and promoting development through democracy.
Harris did receive criticism over her performance, especially as a result of "doubts around her exact role, early media misfires and the rapidly changing regional migration crisis," Axios reported.
Her supporters have sought to defend her, with her team making it clear that her responsibilities were circumscribed to the factors driving people to leave their countries, not deterring them from crossing the border. Others have emphasized the Biden administration's recent crackdown on immigration, which has pushed border crossings to the lowest levels since their term began.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
