TUCSON, Arizona – Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Thursday called current Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris a failed “border czar” and blamed her for the immigration crisis.
“It’s hard to believe until you see with your own eyes how bad the policies of the Kamala Harris ‘administration’ have been when it comes to the southern border,” said Vance, who visited the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday.
From a section of border wall in Cochise County, Arizona, the Ohio senator said Harris has acted as “border czar” but has not listened to people affected by the migration crisis, nor given border agents the resources and means to do their job.
The White House has repeatedly denied that Harris has been officially named “border czar,” and has clarified that her work has been limited to the diplomatic aspect of the immigration issue.
Vance repeatedly ignored the current US president by referring to Joe Biden’s government as the “Harris administration” and blamed the vice president, without evidence, for orders to halt deportations and the construction of the border wall.
The Republican also accused Harris of being responsible for the constant flow of fentanyl across the border.
This is the senator’s first visit to the Mexican border since being chosen by former President Donald Trump to be his running mate in his bid to return to the White House.
On his tour he was accompanied by members of the Border Patrol Union and ranchers who have allegedly been affected by the crossing of foreigners.
“Migrants are being put above American citizens,” Vance lamented.
He reiterated Trump’s campaign promise to reinstate his controversial immigration policies and continue construction of the border wall if the former president is elected again.
The immigration issue has once again become one of the lines of attack for Republicans and the Trump campaign, even though arrests at the border have dropped to levels seen in September 2020.
CRITICISM OF HIS VISIT
Border mayors sharply criticized the Republican’s visit, calling it nothing more than a photo opportunity.
“They just want to campaign at the border and we Arizonans are the ones paying the price,” said Ken Budge, mayor of Bisbee, at a news conference.
Budge acknowledged that there are problems at the border, but said he is convinced that the U.S. Congress is the only one with the power to solve them.
“Vance is just stirring up the fire, trying to create more division that will cause great damage,” said the mayor of the Arizona town.
For her part, San Luis Mayor Nieves Rield warned that for Trump and Vance, border communities are just one more step toward saying they will be “tough” on the immigration issue.
“They don’t know the dynamics of the border, they don’t know what we’re going through, they just want to pit one person against another and not look for real solutions,” said Rield, a Mexican immigrant.
He said Republicans are trying to deceive voters by claiming that migrants are “the enemy” just to boost their political careers.
“They call them undesirables, criminals, murderers, but we can say that 90% of these people are fleeing violence and are looking for a better life,” Rield said.
Both Democrats and Republicans have their sights set on the state of Arizona and its 11 electoral votes, which could make the difference between who will occupy the White House for the next four years.
Next week, Harris will visit the state of Arizona.
