Image source,cbs
US Vice President Kamala Harris (also translated as He Jinli) is under pressure to visit the US-Mexico border. At the time of her first official foreign visit after taking office, the number of immigrants entering the United States was reaching a peak.
During her visit to Guatemala, she shouted to illegal immigrants and said “Don’t come” three times. This approach caused a lot of discussion and even drew criticism from fellow liberal lawmakers. When will she visit the US-Mexico border in the future has become the focus of all walks of life.
Confronting reporters over border issues
When facing reporters recently, Harris was asked why he has not yet visited the US-Mexico border. She had a fierce confrontation with the media.
When she appeared on her first foreign visit in Central America and expressed her opposition to illegal immigration into the United States, the Democratic partners issued a warning.
In April of this year, about 178,000 undocumented immigrants arrived at the southern border of the United States, the highest total in more than two decades.
The Harris office initially stated that US President Joe Biden assigned her in March to handle immigration affairs in Latin America, so border affairs are part of Harris’s duties.
But her staff have recently tried to keep her away from this politically toxic issue.
Moreover, recent polls show that the Biden administration’s economic and epidemic prevention policies are generally supported, but Americans are not satisfied with its handling of the immigration crisis.
The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) aired an interview with Harris on Tuesday (8th) morning. When asked if there were any plans to visit the U.S.-Mexico border, Harris raised his arms and replied: “I will go at a certain moment. You know…we will go to the border. We used to Been there.”
However, when the reporter asked her that she had not actually been to the border, Harris smiled and avoided the question and said, “I have not been to Europe either. I don’t understand your question.”
Image source,Reuters
In March, undocumented immigrants stranded in a facility in Texas, including many children.
The next day, Harris (June 9) went to Mexico for a visit, once again evading the question of why the reporter did not go to the border.
“It’s easy to say,” she said, “but if you think that you go to a place, then the problem there will be solved. I don’t think anyone thinks it will solve the problem.”
When asked why she didn’t go to the border, Harris said that she had been there when she was a California senator.
New crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border
Harris made the remarks at the end of a two-day visit to Guatemala and Mexico. She met with the leaders of the two countries there, hoping to strengthen diplomatic relations and help prevent undocumented immigrants from entering the United States.
Harris’ aides revealed that after finishing his trip on Tuesday, Harris had a private meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for more than an hour.
It is unclear whether Harris urges the other side to take more measures to block Mexican immigrants who want to go to the United States. The Mexican leftist president previously accused the Biden government’s policies of causing a surge in undocumented immigration.
His staff later stated that Harris had promised to provide 130 million U.S. dollars (92 million pounds) to protect Mexican labor rights. She also promised to provide 310 million U.S. dollars to alleviate the damage caused by the Central American Covid-19 pandemic and hurricane last year.
At the White House daily briefing on Tuesday, Biden spokesman Jen Psaki was asked why Ms. Harris did not visit the US-Mexico border this time.
“I think the vice president will go to the border at some point. Wait and see.” Saki said.
Why do fellow Democrats criticize Harris?
Critics in American politics believe that Harris’ remarks in Guatemala on Monday are contradictory to the Biden administration’s previous promise to take a more humane approach to immigration.
“Don’t come. Don’t come,” the US vice president warned illegal immigrants, adding: “If you come to our border, you will be turned away.”
But during the 2019 presidential campaign, Harris slammed the then U.S. President Donald Trump for rejecting undocumented immigrants at the U.S. border.
“What is Trump doing?” she asked at the time. “Trump said to go back to where you came from. This does not reflect our America and our values. It must be stopped!”
Harbing’s weekly speeches provided material for Republicans who often criticized her, but they were also rarely criticized by members of the left-wing liberals within her Democratic Party.
The influential New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called Harris’ remarks “disappointing.” “First of all, seeking asylum at any border in the United States is a 100% legal way to arrive.” She said in a Twitter post.
“In addition, the United States has been responsible for the instability of regime change in Latin America for decades. We cannot set someone’s house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.” She said.
Image source,Getty Images
A man arrested in Arizona was wearing a T-shirt with the words “Biden, please let us in.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s “The Squad” of the Congressional extreme liberals also criticized Harris, saying, “Harlissans are the daughters of immigrants-mothers born in India and fathers born in Jamaica.”
“The right to seek asylum is not only protected by law, but also a basic universal human right,” Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia, also criticized the vice president on Twitter.
Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan also criticized Harris. She wrote: “The way to deal with’stay in place and wait to die’ is definitely not our country’s approach to promoting a more humane and fair immigration system.”
When asked about criticism, Harris responded: “I understand the situation. We must address the root cause. This is my expectation, that’s it.”
Analysis: Harris’ contradictory statement
BBC correspondent in Mexico and Central America Will Grant
Although she may face pressure on when to go to the US-Mexico border after returning home, the truth is that what Harris said during this foreign visit disappointed everyone in Central America. In particular, her stern warning to “potentially” illegal immigrants “do not come” triggered controversy. At that time, she repeated “Don’t come” three times in her speech.
Many human rights activists, human rights lawyers and journalists have pointed out the contradictions in her statement. First, critics said that the statement did not take into account the fact that millions of people in Central America are trapped in extreme poverty.
After being hit by hurricanes, famines, natural disasters, climate change and the new crown virus, the region’s economic recession may continue for many years. Not to mention the rampant gang violence in the area and the forcing of vulnerable young people to join criminal organizations.
In addition, Harris’ statement seems to ignore the fact that requesting asylum is a legal right. Ms. Harris criticized the Trump administration for undermining this right when she was a candidate for vice president. More than one observer commented that as the daughter of immigrants, hearing this from the vice president was particularly harsh.
During the visit to Mexico, the focus shifted to broader bilateral issues: economics, security cooperation, development plans for southern Mexico and Central America. However, immigration is still the most concerned issue of the Biden administration in the region. Although the leaders of the two countries talked about “orderly, safe and normal migration flows” or addressing the “root causes of migration”, most people will remember Vice President Harris’s first international visit because of these three short Wording: “Do Not Come!” (Do Not Come).