Arizona: U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris has visited the U.S.-Mexico border to counter Republican criticism of her handling of immigration. This points to her first trip to the border since 2021, as she prosecuted former President Donald Trump for focusing on “scapegoating instead of solutions” and “rhetoric instead of results.”
Harris’s visit to Cochise County, a key place that has observed record-high border crossings, was set against a backdrop of criticism from Republican opponents. The Democratic nominee examined the border wall and spoke with local officials, delivering a message of toughness. In a campaign event in the border town of Douglas, Harris stressed that Trump “did nothing to fix our broken immigration system”. He criticised that Republicans are showing a “false choice” between border security and a humane immigration system.
Harris conveyed to the supporters that, “We can and must do both.” Harris promised to strengthen asylum laws and revive a bipartisan border security measure that she claimed Trump blocked during his presidency.
Despite her strong rhetoric, Harris faces awkward opposition on the immigration front. Polls show that more Americans trust Trump over Harris when it comes to border security and handling illegal immigration. This issue has been a major vulnerability for Harris, who, as vice-president, has been tasked with addressing the root causes of migration from Central America’s Northern Triangle but has undergone sharp opposition for upward trends in migration during her tenure.
Local ranchers like Jim Chilton, whose 50,000-acre ranch south of Arivaca is frequently crossed by undocumented migrants, remain doubtful of Harris’s promises. Chilton, a Trump supporter, expressed frustration, stating that, “She’s switching her mind just to get votes and lie to us. It’s outrageous.” Chilton’s ranch is equipped with motion-activated cameras that capture footage of migrants crossing his land, many of whom he believes are drug dealers and gang members.
Concerns over the surge of migrants remain a key issue in border towns like Douglas, where some residents recall feeling safer under Trump’s stricter immigration policies. Despite the Biden administration’s tougher asylum restrictions and a subsequent drop in migrant crossings to four-year lows, Harris continues resistance, even from some Democratic voters who favour Trump’s approach to border security.
Trump, who is positioning himself as a tough-on-immigration candidate, criticised Harris’s visit, calling it a “drop-in” and “photo op” while attacking a bipartisan border bill that he helped block earlier this year. Trump commented that, “She went to the border because she’s getting killed on the border.”
As Harris aims to highlight her experience as a prosecutor and her efforts to address both security and humanitarian concerns at the border, she faces the challenge of convincing voters that she has a balanced and effective plan for immigration.
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