DOUGLAS, Ariz. — Vice President Harris made her first appearance at the southern border Friday since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, giving a speech in which she slammed former President Trump and vowed to crack down on illegal immigration.
“Anyone who crosses the border illegally will be arrested, removed and barred from re-entering for five years,” Harris told an enthusiastic crowd inside the gymnasium on Cochise County College's Douglas campus, about two miles from the southern border. told.
“We will pursue tougher criminal charges against repeat offenders. If someone does not apply for asylum at a legal point of entry and crosses the border illegally, they will receive asylum. “We understand that many people are desperately seeking asylum, but our system must be orderly and secure.”
Harris visits key border states as immigration records come under increased scrutiny: Timeline
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Harris greets supporters Friday at a campaign event at Cochise College's Douglas Campus in Douglas, Arizona.
Harris, who touted her track record as border state attorney general, claimed earlier this year that she had “challenged” President Trump's “strongest border security bill in decades,” and that if it were to become law today. He argued that this would produce “results.'' For the sake of the country.
“As President of the United States, it is my pledge to you that I will take up this bill again and proudly sign it into law,” she said.
Harris also vowed to “understand how solutions are formed” and “reach across the aisle and embrace common sense approaches and new technologies to get the job done.”
“Because the transnational gangs, guns, drugs, and human traffickers that come across the border should not care who you voted for in the last election,” she said.
Harris added, “I will accelerate support for front-line law enforcement agencies, increasing staffing, training, and technology, including 100 new testing systems that can detect fentanyl hidden in vehicles.” Ta.
Fentanyl was a common message in Harris' speech, which featured Teresa Guerrero, whose son Jacob died at age 31 from fentanyl poisoning.
“This will enable additional state-of-the-art technology to detect fentanyl and the chemical tools used to make it to our nation's ports of entry, including our airports and seaports,” Harris said. “I will also double the Department of Justice’s resources to extradite and prosecute transnational criminal organizations and cartels.”
Harris continued, “I believe that the United States is a sovereign nation and that we have an obligation to set and enforce rules at our borders. And I take that responsibility very seriously. America is a nation of immigrants. The United States has been enriched by generations of people who have come from all corners of the world to serve our country and be part of the American story. Ta.”
Cuban Spurs mark with Riley Gaines on Harris' response to border crisis
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Harris visited the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday in Douglas, Arizona, with U.S. Border Patrol Tucson District Director John Modlin.
In her speech, Harris claimed that Trump had done “nothing” during his four years as president to fix a “broken immigration system.”
“He didn't solve the shortage of immigration judges,” Harris said. “He didn’t solve the shortage of border officials. He didn’t create legal routes into our country. He didn’t do anything to address an outdated asylum system and he clearly didn’t solve regional challenges. Failure to cooperate with other governments in our hemisphere to address certain issues.
“He separated families. He tore infants from their mothers' arms, put children in cages, and tried to cut off protections for Dreamers. He made the hardships at the border even worse. And he continues to do so. And he's still fanning the flames of fear.'' And let's be clear, that's not a leader's job, and in fact, I think we all believe in abdication of leadership. ”
Harris suggested she would find a path to citizenship for “Dreamers,” who are “Americans in every sense of the word.”
Harris told the audience she would work with Democrats and Republicans to resolve the border issue, rejecting the “false choice” between securing the border and “creating a safe, orderly and humane immigration system.” Then he said.
“We can and must do both.”
Shortly before her speech, Harris walked along the southern border with two Border Patrol agents and was briefed on “efforts to combat traffickers and transnational criminal organizations,” the White House said.
Former Republican presidential candidate Trump speaks at a campaign event in Walker, Michigan, on Friday. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
After that briefing, Ms. Harris traveled in a motorcade to the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry in Douglas, where she was briefed on efforts to stem the flow of fentanyl at the border.
Harris' speech will outline how she will deal with illegal immigration, which has overwhelmed the southern border with millions of illegal immigrants during her tenure as vice president, and which has prompted calls from Trump, Republicans and the Border Patrol. This is against the backdrop of frequent criticism of
“After years of not only ignoring the problem, but helping create it, Vice President Kamala is finally heading to the border,” the National Border Patrol Council said in a statement ahead of Harris' visit. ” he said. “This is just a box she checked, but it's a slap in the face to the men and women who put their lives on the line every day, and a slap in the face to the working world. Where was she, American people? of?”
Border Republicans demand an 'apology' from Harris over canceling 'photo op' campaign in Arizona
Fox News Digital reported earlier this year that at least 7.2 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States under President Biden, more than the population of 36 states.
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Harris will speak Friday at Cochise College's Douglas Campus in Douglas, Arizona. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
Hours before her speech, Harris spoke after Immigration and Customs Enforcement released data showing that tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants with convictions for sex crimes and murder are now roaming the streets in the United States. was exposed to criticism.
A Fox News poll released this week showed Mr. Trump leading by 3 points in Arizona, after Ms. Harris led by 1 point last month.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The three-point change among registered voters is primarily due to movements among younger voters, women, and Hispanics.
Polls also show that a majority of Americans think the southern border is a “problem” after nearly four years of the Biden-Harris administration, according to a recent Fox News poll. It shows Americans trust Trump 10 percentage points more than Harris on the economy.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Dana Blanton contributed to this report
