The 'Queen of the Border' is just a myth
The Situation at the Border between the USA and Mexico is a Controversial Topic in the Presidential Campaign. Ex-President Trump and the Republican Party Now Hold Designated Democratic Candidate Harris Responsible for It. But the Situation is Not That Simple.
According to the Republicans, Kamala Harris had exactly one job to do: solve the migration problem at the border with Mexico. And she failed at it. At least that's what Trump and his allies claim in speeches and campaign ads. They haven't been doing this since Harris' presidential campaign. The situation at the border is an unresolved problem. According to statistics from the US Border Control Agency, over 3.2 million people tried to enter the USA illegally across the Southern border last year, significantly more than in previous years.
With their focus on immigration policy, the Republicans are opening doors for many voters. According to a Gallup poll, currently 55% of US citizens vote for a reduction in immigration to the USA, and for 27% it is the main problem the country is facing. Only the economic situation and inflation are weighed more heavily.
As the designated Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris is now specifically in the spotlight: a Republican congressman has even proposed impeachment proceedings against Harris due to the migration crisis. "The border crisis is a Kamala Harris crisis," Trump's vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance declared at a rally in the Swing State of Virginia a few days ago. Vance called her the "Border czar" in this context. This nickname has been coined for her for years. It is also used in speeches at the nominating convention. Trump's campaign manager even called it her best campaign slogan against the 59-year-old vice president.
Facts Play a Supporting Role
But that's misleading. In US politics, the term "tsar" is regularly used for representatives responsible for a particular field. Trump himself appointed "tsars" for human trafficking or cybersecurity, for example. Harris, however, has never officially held this title. The Republicans seem not to care.
"Harris was appointed 'Border czar' in March 2021," Trump recently declared: "Since then, millions and tens of millions of illegal immigrants have entered our country, and countless Americans have been killed by the criminality of migrants because she willfully destroyed American borders and laws." Trump links immigration in his speeches with other issues important to voters: allegedly rising crime rates or the ongoing opioid crisis. For Trump and Vance, the immigration issue provides ammunition to attack Harris verbally.
Facts take a back seat. In reality, Biden gave Harris the task of dealing with the immigration issue in 2021. It's an ungrateful task, but Harris' job was not, as alleged by the Republicans, to secure the border herself, build walls, or organize the work of the many thousands of officials. For this area, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is responsible.
The administration's "Causes-Strategy," led by Harris, presented roughly three years ago, focuses more on measures outside the USA. The so-called push factors in Central America, in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras should be countered; for instance, through economic programs or private sector investments in the region to create jobs locally. Furthermore, corruption and crime in the countries should be combated. In essence, it's a long-term strategy.
"If it was a worthwhile task, she did quite well in getting the private sector to invest in Central America," Muzaffar Chishti from the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute told "Time" Magazine. "But it was a mission that couldn't produce quick results."
However, additional appeals on-site had no effect. "People in this region thinking about making the dangerous journey to the border between the United States and Mexico: Don't come. Don't come," explained the Vice President in 2021 in Guatemala. The opposite happened. The numbers rose. In this year, the Republicans in Congress blocked a bill with comprehensive border measures at Trump's behest - he didn't want to allow any improvement in the situation for political campaign reasons. The topic is important. So, Biden issued some of it by decree. Since then, the numbers have decreased.
Democrats Need Solutions
During Biden and Harris's presidency, more origin countries have joined the scene. It's no longer just Central America, as the "Causes-Strategy" focused on, that is being identified as the sole driver of migration from the USA. Instead, according to data from the US Border Control, countries like Colombia, Venezuela, and Nicaragua are increasingly moving into focus. The numbers from Caribbean countries, such as Cuba and Haiti, have also been rising in recent years.
Regardless of whether it's factually correct or a myth: The nickname as the "Empress of the Border" will stick to Harris during the campaign. And ultimately, it doesn't matter to voters what exact competencies Harris had in this field in the past years. She will be held responsible for the situation as part of Biden's administration. As a democratic presidential candidate, she must present concrete solutions to voters in November to win the elections in the face of widespread anti-immigration sentiment in parts of the USA.
- In the upcoming United States Presidentship election 2024, J.D. Vance, Trump's former vice presidential candidate, has criticized Vice President Kamala Harris, labeling her the "Border czar" due to her role in addressing the migration issue at the US-Mexico border.
- Despite Republicans' claims that former Vice President Kamala Harris failed to address the migration issue at the border, President Joe Biden assigned her the task of dealing with immigration matters in 2021, and her focus was on counteracting factors promoting migration from Central American countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras through economic programs and private sector investments.
- According to a Gallup poll, a significant portion of United States citizens (55%) support reducing immigration levels to the United States, and immigration is ranked as a major concern by 27% of respondents, demonstrating the political significance of the migration issue in the United States of America.
