A Republican lawmaker has strongly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her immigration policies, accusing her of abandoning the U.S.-Mexico border states.
Immigration takes center stage in this year’s election cycle, with both candidates putting forth proposals to address the issue. The GOP has consistently criticized Harris by focusing on border security, while Democrats have highlighted how former President Donald Trump instructed Republicans to reject a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year.
Rep. Tony Gonzales held a press conference in Texas on Thursday, where he criticized the Biden-Harris Administration for their inadequate efforts in enforcing stricter border security measures.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has neglected us. They have deserted us. We are left to fend for ourselves. We have always been on our own. Therefore, we have a choice: we can either grumble about the problem or we can take action and get to work,” Gonzales passionately expressed.
According to Gonzales, Harris did not witness the complete extent of the border “crisis” during her visit to El Paso in 2021.
During the visit, Vice President Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas were hosted by Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar at the tarmac. However, they did not make an appearance in the Lower Valley, as Congressman Gonzales recalled.
During her first sit-down interview in the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Harris discussed immigration policy and border security, which has been seen as a key issue where Democrats are perceived to be weak.
Appearing on CNN together, Harris and Waltz presented a policy pitch to address the nation’s top concerns of voters.
During an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the collaborative efforts between President Joe Biden, herself, and their administration in addressing a crucial immigration matter that holds great importance for the American people and national security – the border.
A bill was created through bipartisan efforts, with even the support of some of the most conservative members of the United States Congress. I personally supported this bill, and Donald Trump became aware of it. However, because he believed that it would not benefit him politically, he instructed his colleagues in Congress not to move it forward.
In her keynote speech at the DNC, Harris vowed to revive the border security bill that had failed under the Biden administration.
In her highly anticipated CNN interview, the vice president made a firm commitment to strengthen border security in order to decrease migration numbers.
“My stance on securing our border remains unwavering. Having served as the attorney general of California for two terms, I actively prosecuted transnational criminal organizations and cases involving the illicit smuggling of guns, drugs, and human trafficking across our border. My values have remained consistent throughout,” she emphasized.
According to a poll conducted by ABC News, the Washington Post, and Ipsos in August, it was found that Americans have more trust in Trump when it comes to immigration policy compared to Harris.
Trump has made a commitment to expel thousands of migrants through a highly contentious mass deportation initiative.
In preparation for the 2024 presidential election, President Trump has unveiled a new flagship policy that aims to deport all immigrants who are residing in the United States unlawfully.
Experts have warned that if the policy is implemented, it could lead to a significant reduction in the agricultural labor force, potentially cutting it in half. Moreover, they believe that the dairy industry in the United States would be severely impacted by this measure.
A recent poll conducted by Gallup in July reveals that a slim majority of respondents are in favor of Trump’s main border wall policy from 2016. The poll shows that 53 percent of both Republicans and Democrats support the significant expansion of wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border.
In July, Rep. Mark Green, the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, strongly criticized Harris and accused the Democratic nominee of promoting “lawlessness at the expense of Americans’ safety.”
Green criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s approach to immigration and labeled the border situation as a “public safety crisis.”
