On Friday, September 27th, Vice President Harris visited the small border town of Douglas, Arizona, marking her first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border since becoming the Democratic presidential candidate. According to reports from the Associated Press, the border issue has been one of Harris’s major weaknesses leading up to the November election.
Harris’s campaign aides stated that the Vice President would deliver a speech on border security, advocating for the “strongest bipartisan border security plan of this generation,” implementing stricter measures to manage the border. The plan includes increasing border patrol personnel and utilizing advanced technology to prevent drug trafficking, especially the influx of fentanyl into the U.S. Harris hopes that this bill will garner support from both parties in Congress.
Immigration and border security are crucial issues in the state of Arizona, which is the only battleground state bordering Mexico. Last year, the state faced a record influx of asylum seekers. Former President Trump holds an advantage among voters on the immigration issue, while Harris is actively countering his stance to bolster her position on the issue and mitigate Trump’s key political attacks.
Trump and his Republican allies criticize the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of illegal immigration, pointing out Vice President Harris’s lack of border visits during her tenure at the White House. Harris’s last visit to the U.S.-Mexico border was in 2021.
After immigration legislation reached an impasse, the Biden administration announced restrictive measures in June. Upon reaching a certain number of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, the asylum pathway would be cut off. Within less than a month of this new rule’s implementation, the daily average number of arrests at the U.S. border significantly decreased by over 40%.
Trump promises that if re-elected, he will carry out massive deportations of illegal immigrants and complete the unfinished border wall project from his first term. He plans to deploy law enforcement personnel to the southern border and increase penalties for illegal immigrants. He also criticizes the Biden administration’s “cashless bail policy” for its ineffective results.
Prior to the Vice President’s border visit, on Thursday, September 26th, Trump retaliated against Harris’s upcoming visit during a speech in New York, stating, “She (Harris) is the worst national protector in history. So she will try to make herself look better, but that is impossible.”
Biden appointed Harris to address immigration issues at their core, particularly focusing on resolving the immigration problems originating from the three Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, which constitute a significant portion of cross-border migrants.
The Vice President’s approach is rooted in solving the current issues from a long-term perspective, convincing multinational companies and Latin American businesses to invest in the region. Harris believes this will create job opportunities, giving local residents more reasons to stay home rather than migrate northward.
During her first interview as a presidential candidate, Harris stated that her work aims to reduce border crossings and reiterated her support for the bipartisan border bill that failed to pass in the Senate.
Polls indicate that the majority of Americans trust Trump more than Harris in handling immigration issues.
Douglas, where Harris will visit, is a border town with a majority Democratic population located in Cochise County, which is Republican-dominated. Last month, Trump visited the area, emphasizing the differences between himself and Harris on border security issues.
Harris is scheduled to arrive at the Raul H. Castro Land Port of Entry in Douglas at 6:35 p.m. Eastern Time to receive a closed-door briefing on the actions and progress in blocking fentanyl trafficking through the southern border.
At 7:45 p.m. Eastern Time, Harris will deliver a speech at a campaign event in Douglas. Democratic Arizona Senator Mark Kelly is expected to join the Vice President on her journey. Following this, Harris will travel to San Francisco and participate in a fundraising event called “An Afternoon with Vice President Harris” on Saturday, September 28th.