Did Joe Biden make Kamala Harris ‘border czar’ to tackle illegal immigration?

As the US election campaign season heats up Donald Trump and his running mate are gunning for Kamala Harris over rampant illegal immigration from the Mexico border. In their election narrative Republicans are squarely blaming Kamala Harris for oversight of U.S. border security. But was she responsible for border security?

The portrayal of Kamala Harris as the Biden administration's "border czar" is misleading. Her assignment was always about tackling the root causes of migration from specific Central American countries, not overseeing border security operations.

This narrative has been bolstered by a House Republican resolution criticizing Harris's record on immigration. However, these claims misrepresent the specific responsibilities Harris was assigned, which focused more on addressing the root causes of migration rather than direct oversight of U.S. border security.

Truth behind viral claim calling Kamala ‘border czar’

In March 2021, President Joe Biden assigned Kamala Harris a specialized role: to lead diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the root causes of migration from Central America's "Northern Triangle" countries—Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Her mission was to tackle the socio-economic and political issues that drive people to leave their homes, a task distinct from managing the U.S. border itself.

This misrepresentation overlooks the distinct nature of her responsibilities and the intended scope of her work. Kamala was never tasked with managing border security. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas oversees U.S. border security operations. Mayorkas emphasized that while Harris was focused on addressing migration's root causes, DHS was responsible for border management and security.

Harris has spearheaded initiatives to foster private sector investment in the Northern Triangle, aiming to create job opportunities and improve living conditions, which are long-term strategies to reduce migration pressures. Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, told TIME that while the VP did “reasonably well” in working with the private sector, her work is such that it “could not produce results anytime soon.”

While her work is inherently long-term and not immediately visible in terms of border security metrics, it targets the fundamental issues prompting migration. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicates a decrease in migrants from the Northern Triangle, though migration from other regions has increased, illustrating the complexity of immigration trends.

Kamala Harris blamed for border situation

Despite being in-charge of a long term policy to improve border situation Harris faced criticism from both the left and right. Conservatives have attacked her for not directly addressing the border crisis, while some liberals criticized her firm stance against illegal immigration during a 2021 speech where she advised potential migrants, “Do not come.”

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