By Dan Merica, Nicholas Riccardi & Chris Megerian | The Associated Press WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden, watching tens of thousands of migrants from Central America reach the US-Mexico border just a few months into his administration, tapped his second-in-command to help address the influx—a decision that has exposed Vice President...
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden, watching tens of thousands of migrants from Central America reach the US-Mexico border just a few months into his administration, tapped his second-in-command to help address the influx—a decision that has exposed Vice President Kamala Harris to one of her biggest political liabilities.
Harris was never the “border czar,” or put in charge of border security or halting illegal border crossings, as former President Donald Trump, Republicans and even the occasional media outlet have claimed. Instead, she was tasked in March 2021 with tackling the “root causes” of migration from the Northern Triangle and pushing its leaders—along with Mexico’s—to enforce immigration laws, administration officials said.
“She was like, ‘nope, I’m just root causes,’’” said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less immigration. “Even if it worked, it’s the sort of thing that takes generations, not one term.” While in office, Trump sought to tightly restrict asylum, which was challenged in the courts. This time around, Trump has promised to oversee a “mass deportation” of migrants who have committed crimes in the United States.
“She was tasked with developing a long-term policy framework rather than creating a short-term political performance project,” said Newman, the legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. The work linked multinational companies—like Visa, Nestle and Meta—with smaller nonprofits and Latin American businesses, all of which pledged to increase their investments or bolster their work with at-risk communities.The Associated Press contacted all the nearly two-dozen companies the White House touted as participants in the outreach effort.
Katie Tobin, who worked as the top migration adviser at the National Security Council for three years, credited Harris’ focus with spurring investment in reducing these numbers, arguing that Harris “was able to leverage her credibility” and the power of the White House to convince companies to invest in “a risky investment environment.”
Among them was Thelma Aldana, a former chief prosecutor who fled her country after what she said were politically motivated corruption charges.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
AI IN POLITICS: The challenge of AI ethics in campaigns | Dan Merica / The Associated PressWASHINGTON—The Democratic National Committee was watching earlier this year as campaigns nationwide were experimenting with artificial intelligence. So the organization approached a handful of influential party campaign committees with a request: Sign onto guidelines that would commit them to use the technology in a “responsible” way.
Read more »
Majority of Democrats think Kamala Harris would make a good president, AP-NORC poll showsWASHINGTON (AP) — As President Joe Biden faces a growing drumbeat of pressure to drop his reelection bid, a majority of Democrats think his vice president would make a good president herself.
Read more »
With Kamala Harris, Democrats would bet against US history of sexism, racismLatest Philippine news from GMA News and 24 Oras. News, weather updates and livestreaming on Philippine politics, regions, showbiz, lifestyle, science and tech.
Read more »
Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Kamala HarrisSunStar Publishing Inc.
Read more »
Trump says Kamala Harris will be easier to defeat than BidenLatest Philippine news from GMA News and 24 Oras. News, weather updates and livestreaming on Philippine politics, regions, showbiz, lifestyle, science and tech.
Read more »
With Kamala Harris, Democrats would bet against US history of sexism, racismIn more than two centuries of democracy, American voters have elected only one Black president and never a woman, a record that makes even some Black voters wonder if Harris can crash through the hardest ceiling in US politics
Read more »