Washington: Vice President Kamala Harris is intensifying her stance on illegal immigration as she seeks to confront Donald Trump on his signature issue. Over the coming weeks, her campaign will feature a series of events and digital ads aimed at emphasizing her position, according to campaign staff.
Central to Harris’ strategy is the promotion of a bipartisan border security bill that failed in the Senate earlier this year, following Trump’s opposition. The bill proposed increased funding for border agents and detention facilities. An official noted that Harris plans to highlight her support for this legislation in her campaign efforts.
Harris’ more assertive approach on immigration will be evident as she travels across the country with her running mate, Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota. Walz was chosen for his appeal to voters in the heartland of America.
In her campaign, Harris will also spotlight Trump’s controversial actions, including his 2018 policy that led to the separation of thousands of migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, and his 2017 executive order that sought to ban travel from several Muslim-majority countries. A version of this ban was later upheld by the Supreme Court.
A campaign official remarked that Harris now has an opportunity to reintroduce herself to voters after becoming the Democratic presidential candidate following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race last month.
Matt Barreto, a pollster with experience in the Harris and Biden campaigns, stated, “It’s all part of a larger effort by Harris to be direct and to go directly at Trump. Democrats always do well when they lean in on the immigration issue and don’t run away from it.”
This shift towards a more enforcement-focused position marks a departure from Biden’s 2020 campaign, which promised a more humane approach to immigration. Biden’s stance has evolved as illegal crossings increased.
The Trump campaign has criticized Harris as a failed “border czar,” though her role was primarily focused on addressing the root causes of migration from Central America. Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt asserted, “If dangerously liberal Kamala is president, our border will remain wide open to terrorists and criminals from around the world who will face no consequence for committing heinous migrant crimes.”
Also Read | Tragic Hotel Collapse in Moselle Wine Valley: Two Dead, Others Trapped
Harris Highlights Prosecution Record
Harris began outlining her more aggressive immigration strategy during a speech in Atlanta last week, where she criticized Trump for undermining the border security bill. She also highlighted her record as California attorney general, where she tackled transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers. “I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers that came into our country illegally,” she said. “I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.”
The border security bill has become a focal point of Harris’ campaign, with a digital ad framing the election as a choice between “the one who will fix our broken immigration system” and “the one who’s trying to stop her.”
Jeffrey Jarman, a Wichita State University professor specializing in political communication, noted that Harris’ proactive stance helps avoid ceding the immigration debate to Republicans. “Failure to talk about the issue allows Republicans to completely dominate the discussion and frame her in the most unflattering way,” he said.
However, Jarman acknowledged that focusing on Trump may not win over Republican voters and risks diverting attention from issues crucial to Harris’ base. “Candidates who spend too much time talking about the issues of their opponent will always face a more difficult time winning the election,” he added.
Also Read | Former CSIS Director David Vigneault Appointed at Strider Technologies
Recent polls indicate growing voter concern about illegal immigration under Biden. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in May showed that 45% of registered voters believe immigration has made life more difficult for native-born Americans. Illegal crossings have decreased since Biden imposed new asylum restrictions in June.
A memo from the advocacy group Immigration Hub suggests that Harris could energize voters by combining her enforcement record with protections for immigrants already in the U.S. illegally. Harris was instrumental in the Biden administration’s announcement of a path to citizenship for spouses of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Trump has pledged to pursue mass deportations if re-elected. Ken Budge, the Democratic mayor of Bisbee, Arizona, a border city with a population of 5,000, noted that recent high illegal crossings have occasionally strained resources for providing essentials to migrants. He stated that the Harris campaign aims to address the border issue comprehensively. “They don’t want to just kick the can down the road.”
Tom Suozzi, a New York Democrat who won a special election to Congress by taking a firm stance on the border, mentioned that a member of Harris’ team shared her social media ad on immigration with him last week. “A lot of my consultants and a lot of political people were saying, ‘What are you talking about immigration for? It’s a Republican issue,’” Suozzi said. “I said, ‘No, it’s an American issue. It’s what people are talking about.’”
