Janice R. Andrews
AZ’s COCHISE COUNTY — Sen. from Ohio and Donald Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, attacked Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration’s immigration policy during his first trip to the border on Thursday. The trip highlights the Republican attempt to highlight border security as a key issue in the 2018 presidential election. It included visits in Glendale, Arizona, and campaign rallies in Nevada.
Gov Criticism Is Highlighted by Border Visit
An important turning point in the campaign came when Vance visited Cochise County. There, he discussed the problems at the southern border and attacked Harris for serving as the Biden administration’s ‘border czar.’
“It’s just unbelievable what we’re letting happen at this southern border, and we’re letting it happen because Kamala Harris refuses to do her job,” Vance said. The 39-year-old congressman suggested putting “common sense policies” into place to handle the situation, claiming that guarding the southern border is not difficult.
Proposals for Policies and Rebuttals
In his speech, Vance demanded that the “catch-and-release” program be ended, that asylum seekers be allowed to “remain in Mexico,” and that the border wall be built to its full length. Vance spoke on the need to resume deportations, but he did not address Trump’s prior support in previous interviews for the wholesale deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants.
“The U.S. effectively has a ‘open border,’ and that’s what Harris has ‘promised,'” Vance said. “Donald Trump and I promise to do exactly the opposite.” He said he was “ashamed of what this administration has done,” expressing his disgust with the way the present administration has handled border security.
Harris’s Role and Republican Strategy
Republicans have stepped up their attempts to paint Harris as the Biden administration’s “border czar” and to associate her with the surge of illegal immigrants and fentanyl entering the country. President Biden designated Harris to spearhead a diplomatic endeavor to address the underlying causes of migration in March 2021. Harris traveled to El Paso, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras as part of his employment, and this led to some investments in the region. She hasn’t, however, visited any nations south of the border since early 2022.
“There cannot be effective border policy without someone coordinating all the federal agencies,” Vance said, criticizing Harris’s efficacy. Harris has “done nothing” despite being urged to “coordinate.”
The Firm Position of the Trump Campaign
On Monday, the Trump team released its first television attack commercials against Harris, concentrating on border security and running in six key battleground states. These advertisements seek to further link Harris to the alleged shortcomings of the immigration policy implemented by the Biden administration.
Harris’s Reaction and the Democratic Backlash
During her campaign event in Georgia on Tuesday, Harris addressed the border issue in response to the critiques from the GOP. “Trump has been talking a big game about securing our border, but he does not walk the walk,” she said. The bipartisan border plan, which Harris said “Trump killed” earlier this year, will be brought back to life.
The goal of the bipartisan plan under consideration was to augment the number of immigration judges, asylum officials, and Border Patrol personnel. It also requested funds to increase the capacity of detention facilities and strengthen their capacity to detect fentanyl.
Border security is still a divisive and emotionally charged topic as the election season heats up, with both parties trying to sell their ideas to the American people. The political conversations that followed Vance’s border visit serve as a stark reminder of the intense differences and significant stakes involved in the current immigration policy debate.
