Following Joe Biden‘s monumental withdrawal from the presidential race, Republicans are now focusing attacks against Kamala Harris‘ handling of the ‘catastrophic open border crisis.’
Biden’s shocking withdrawal from the 2024 election has left a power vacuum expected to be filled by Harris – who he endorsed shortly after dropping out.
But the vice president’s grip on the party’s nomination is far from solidified as many in Democratic leadership have yet to come out in support of her.
Seeing her as the predominant threat, at least as of now, Republicans have turned their attacks on Harris, who infamously was put in charge of stemming illegal immigration in 2021 as Biden’s ‘border czar.’
Since Biden and Harris took office, illegal immigration into the U.S. has exploded to over 8 million crossings, and is expected to reach up to 10 million by the end of September.
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. is introducing a resolution Monday ‘condemning Kamala Harris’ role as Joe Biden’s ‘Border czar’ leading to the most catastrophic open border crisis in history.’
Vice President Kamala Harris was tasked with handling immigration and border related issues for he Biden administration in March 2021. Under her supervision, the U.S. has experienced consecutive years of record-breaking illegal immigration
‘Biden’s open border czar Kamala Harris and every elected Democrat owns this border crisis,’ she went on.
Stefanik, one of the top Republicans in the House, is expected to introduce the resolution condemning Harris’s handling of the border around 2 p.m. ET Monday.
Harris was thrust into the thankless job of managing the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration in March 2021.
‘I’ve asked her, the VP, today — because she’s the most qualified person to do it — to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that help — are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border,’ Biden said at a White House migration meeting on March 24, 2021.
Since then, illegal immigration into the U.S. has broken records every year under her watch.
It is estimated that at least 3.7 million migrants have entered the country illegally and taken up residence under Biden’s presidency and Harris’s tenure as ‘border czar.’
Adding insult to injury, fresh reports from NewsNation indicate that Harris, despite being put in charge with immigration by President Biden, has never spoken with Border Patrol’s top brass.
According to the outlet, Harris has not spoken to Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens who has held the position for the last year.
Owens’ predecessor, retired Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, revealed in March that he never ‘had one conversation’ with Harris during the two years he helmed the agency.
Migrants walk along the border fence after crossing into the U.S. from Mexico on June 14, 2024 in Jacumba Hot Springs, California
Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens has reportedly never spoken to ‘border czar’ Kamala Harris
Harris’s role in securing the nation’s border is likely to resonate with voters too, as it has consistently polled as a top issue for voters ahead of November’s election.
A Harvard Harris poll from the end of March found that immigration was the top concerns of voters, even more so than inflation or the economy.
In June, another poll found that a majority of Americans – 62 percent – were in favor of carrying out mass deportations to remove migrants who have recently arrived recently.
Despite public sentiment for tougher immigration standards, the vice president has long taken a progressive approach to the topic.
‘An undocumented immigrant is not a criminal,’ she posted on X in 2017.
‘It’s ludicrous to say we’re going to deport 12 million people. Now how are you going to do that?’ she similarly posted.
In her time as VP and as ‘border czar,’ Harris has only visited the U.S.-Mexico border once.
She did so in June 2021 after a contentious interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt, in which she claimed ‘We’ve been to the border,’ and Holt responded bluntly, ‘You have not been to the border.’
‘…and I haven’t been to Europe,’ Harris appeared to joke with Holt at the time.
Harris and her team then visited El Paso two weeks later.
Migrants sit by fires to warm up while waiting for U.S. border officials to pick them up and process them
Migrants wait to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing into the U.S. from Mexico
And Trump’s team is also slamming Harris for her handling of the border.
‘Joe Biden has been the worst President in my lifetime and Kamala Harris has been right there with him every step of the way,’ Donald Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, posted on X Sunday.
‘Over the last four years she co-signed Biden’s open border and green scam policies that drove up the cost of housing and groceries.’
‘She owns all of these failures, and she lied for nearly four years about Biden’s mental capacity–saddling the nation with a president who can’t do the job,’ Vance continued.