The Harris political team is contemplating a journey to the U.S. southern border, spurred by election polling uncertainties.
Elections in 2024 have seen immigration take center stage. With Democrats grappling with years of border issues, they've aimed to shift focus on Republicans after they blocked a bipartisan border plan earlier this year.
Some within the Harris campaign remain wary of the polling gap, showing Trump leading on the issue, but also see an opening to lessen this perceived gap and refute GOP accusations about her lack of border visits, a source mentioned.
Harris, during her time as vice president and as a border state senator and attorney general, has visited the boundary and highlighted her work in this regard.
A definitive plan hasn't been finalized yet, as per another source.
CNN reached out to Harris' team for comment.
This visit to Arizona on Friday is significant as border crossings have hit their lowest since 2020. Moreover, it follows new polling data showing Trump leading in the crucial swing state.
US officials have celebrated successive months of reduced border crossings, attributing this to recent executive action restricting asylum access at the US-Mexico border. However, Trump continues to attack the Biden administration over border security management.
Republicans erroneously label Harris as the "border czar," making her the sole blame for border management. This label, however, has been a point of contention for Harris' team since Biden handed her the task of addressing migration's root causes in 2021.
The Harris campaign believes she has strong arguments on immigration. They plan to use the failed bipartisan border measure to portray Trump as non-committed to border security and to highlight her role as California attorney general in combating transnational criminal gangs.
Last week, Harris condemned Trump's immigration plans, using his controversial policies to contrast starkly with her Republican rival.
"While we strive to propel our nation towards a better tomorrow, Donald Trump and his radical allies will persist in dragging us back. We all remember their atrocities in dismantling families, and now they've vowed to oversee the largest deportation, a mass deportation like never before in American history," she asserted.
"Picture that scenario and imagine its consequences. Mass raids, mass detention camps. What's their plan?" she further questioned.
In the midst of the political landscape, the issue of immigration has become a focal point in the 2024 elections. Despite Republicans accusing Vice President Harris of being the "border czar" and solely responsible for border management, her campaign plans to utilize the failed bipartisan border measure to portray Trump as inconsistent in his commitment to border security.
