Vice President Kamala Harris is facing increased scrutiny as the presumptive Democratic nominee, with conservative critics focusing on her past comments on immigration and the border crisis. In 2021, President Biden assigned Harris to lead diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of migration in the Northern Triangle countries, a role that earned her the moniker 'border czar' from Republicans, a label the White House has rejected.
As part of her assignment, Harris visited Mexico and Guatemala and also toured the southern border in El Paso, Texas. Her initiative to attract private-sector investment in the region has garnered over $5.2 billion from more than 50 companies and organizations since May 2021. The number of encounters from the three countries has decreased from over 700,000 in FY 21 to over 330,000 this fiscal year, although the direct impact of Harris's efforts remains unclear.
Despite these efforts, the border crisis persists, prompting Republicans and conservatives to revisit Harris's broader immigration stances. Shortly after Biden's announcement, the Republican National Committee shared a 2018 clip of Harris discussing the possibility of abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In the clip, Harris expressed the need to critically re-examine ICE's role, administration, and operations, suggesting a potential overhaul of the agency.
