VP Harris to Visit US-Mexico Border to Discuss Security, Aide States

By Jasper Ward and Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit the U.S. border with Mexico on Friday, marking her first trip to the increasingly contentious southern border since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.

During her visit to Douglas, Arizona, Harris intends to address border security and highlight her efforts in advocating for "the toughest bipartisan border security plan in a generation." According to a campaign aide, this plan encompasses an increase in border agents and the implementation of new technologies aimed at combating fentanyl trafficking.

"As a former attorney general from a border state, she engaged with international gangs and criminal organizations involved in trafficking drugs, arms, and humans. She has long advocated for an immigration system that is secure, fair, orderly, and humane, distinctly different from the divisive and perilous politics of former President Donald Trump," the aide remarked.

Harris previously served as California’s attorney general before her election to the U.S. Senate and her subsequent role as vice president in 2020. She made a prior visit to the border in 2021.

Trump, Harris’ Republican opponent, has prioritized illegal immigration as a central theme in his campaign leading up to the November 5 election, frequently criticizing Harris’s approach to border policy.

Last month, Harris expressed on CNN her intention to renew efforts for comprehensive border legislation aimed at tightening immigration into the United States, pledging to "enforce our laws" related to border crossings.

Immigration continues to be a key concern for voters. A recent poll indicated that 54 percent of respondents believed Trump would manage this issue more effectively, while only 43 percent felt Harris would do better.

In February, Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan border bill that Trump had urged them to reject. Both President Joe Biden and Harris have accused Trump of seeking to keep the border issue alive as a campaign topic.