Vice President Kamala Harris is set to announce plans to uphold and strengthen asylum restrictions during her visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona.
According to CBS News, Harris will make her first trip to the border as the Democratic presidential nominee on Friday. The vice president is expected to outline her intentions to keep President Biden's asylum crackdown in place and make it more difficult to lift if she is elected.
The planned announcement goes beyond the Biden administration's current efforts to solidify asylum restrictions. As reported by a senior campaign official, Harris aims to increase the conditions required for deactivating these restrictions.
Harris's visit to Douglas, Arizona, will emphasize the need for tougher border security measures and additional resources for Border Patrol agents. The vice president is expected to highlight combating fentanyl flow as a top priority for her potential presidency.
In her remarks, Harris will propose adding fentanyl detection machines at border entry points. She will also call on China to crack down on companies producing precursor chemicals used in fentanyl production.
The vice president is set to advocate for an immigration system that is "safe, orderly and humane" while addressing the current lack of resources at the border.
Harris's border trip comes as she seeks to gain ground on her opponent, former President Donald Trump, on border-related issues. Recent polls indicate that border concerns are a significant factor for voters in the upcoming election.
According to a CBS News poll, 58% of likely voters consider the U.S.-Mexico border a major factor in their voting decision. The same poll found that 53% of likely voters would support a national program to find and deport all immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Trump and Republican leaders have consistently campaigned on strong border security and have attempted to blame Harris for the increase in illegal crossings during the Biden administration.
During a press conference in New York on Thursday, Trump criticized Harris's border visit, stating:
She should go back to the White House and tell the president to close the border. He can do it with the signing of just a signature and a piece of paper to the border patrol.
In response, Harris plans to argue that Trump was responsible for derailing a bipartisan border bill that would have enacted permanent asylum restrictions and authorized additional border agents and resources. The vice president is expected to say:
The American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games.
Harris will emphasize that while she has been advocating for Congress to pass the bill, Trump referred to the legislation as "atrocious" and claimed it would allow for increased immigration levels and amnesty.
Vice President Kamala Harris's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border marks a significant moment in her campaign strategy. She plans to announce the continuation and strengthening of asylum restrictions, emphasizing border security and combating fentanyl trafficking. Harris aims to challenge her opponent's stance on border issues while advocating for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform.
