Kamala Harris set to visit US southern border for first time as vice president
El Paso, Texas – Kamala Harris is set to make her first trip as vice president to the US-Mexico border on Friday.
Biden announced in March that he was placing Harris in charge of the border crisis. Since, she has faced criticism for not yet visiting the southern border, especially after traveling to Guatemala and telling potential migrants, "Do not come."
Harris pushed back against her critics, saying the administration was primarily focused on addressing the root causes of migration in the origin countries, but now it seems she is finally trying to put a stop to the complaints once and for all.
Some speculate Harris is trying to squeeze her visit in before Trump makes his own appearance at the border on June 30. The ex-president accepted Governor Greg Abbott's invitation to join him on a tour after the Texas Republican announced his intention to complete the border wall.
According to Politico, Trump himself said that if he and Abbott "weren’t going there next week, she would have never gone!" Texas Senator Ted Cruz echoed similar thoughts: "Suddenly President Trump is going to the border and they realized, 'Oh crap, we got to do something.'"
Harris' spokesperson Symone Sanders said the trip was all a part of the administration's broader plan: "Earlier this year, the President asked the Vice President to oversee our diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. As a part of this ongoing work, the Vice President traveled to Guatemala and Mexico earlier this month and will travel to El Paso on Friday."
The vice president will be accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire