In Mexico, Harris defends in opposition to criticism over border – KIRO 7 Information Seattle

MEXICO CITY – (AP) – Vice President Kamala Harris brushed off questions about her decision not to go to the US-Mexico border as part of her work to combat the surge in migration, saying on Tuesday that while it was “legitimate” to go Worrying about the situation at the border would not be possible with a simple visit.

Concluding a two-day visit to Guatemala and Mexico aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties to cope with migration to the US, Harris stated, “If I am in Guatemala to address the root causes, we should have my mind after talking about what’s going on in Guatemala. “

Speaking to reporters traveling with her in Mexico, Harris was asked about the prospect that her decision not to visit the border might overshadow her focus on the very issues that are driving migrants to move out of their homes into the United States flee

“You cannot say that you take care of the border without addressing the causes of migration, without addressing the acute causes of migration,” she said.

She added, “It would be very easy to say we are going to one place and therefore it is resolved. I don’t think anyone thinks that would be the solution. “

Urged why she wouldn’t just visit when her goal is to tackle migration as a whole, Harris noted that she had previously visited as a senator from California and may have been there again.

Harris’ decision not to go to the border as part of her migration mission threatened to overshadow her diplomacy as she completed a two-day trip to Guatemala and Mexico that focused on curbing the flow of people to the U.S. to strengthen diplomatic ties and meet on her trip with the presidents of Guatemala and Mexico to discuss economic investment and increased enforcement measures against human trafficking, smuggling and corruption.

The surge in migration at the border has become one of the biggest challenges Biden faces in the early months of his first term as Republicans take up an issue they consider politically beneficial. Polls suggest Americans are less positive about Biden’s approach to immigration than they are about his economic policies and the COVID-19 pandemic.

They have tried to make Harris the face of this immigration policy and accuse her and Biden of ignoring the problem because neither of them has visited the southern border yet. Harris told reporters she was focused on “tangible” results “as opposed to grand gestures.”

Harris and her aides have tried to make it clear that their mission is closely focused on finding diplomatic solutions to the problem on the border. But during her trip that week she and the Biden administration were haunted by questions on the matter. During an NBC interview, she dismissed a question about why she hadn’t visited by responding, “And I wasn’t in Europe. And I mean, I don’t get what you mean – I’m not neglecting the importance of the boundary. “

After Republicans took up their comments in order to keep Harris out of touch, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was forced to defend the decision as well.

But it made headlines when Harris drew attention to a productive meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. After the meeting, the government announced a series of agreements negotiated between the two governments, including a US $ 130 million pledge for the next three years to support labor reforms in Mexico and loans to support southern Mexico Economy.

The government said the meeting resulted in a September economic dialogue agreement on trade, telecommunications and supply chains. And the two countries will also work together on human trafficking and economic programs that address the reasons people leave El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for the US

Harris told López Obrador at the beginning of their meeting that the two nations “are entering a new era” and emphasized the long-standing “interdependence and connection” of the two nations.

Harris also met women entrepreneurs and planned to hold a round table with union leaders in Mexico before returning to Washington on Tuesday evening.

The visit to Mexico crowned Harris’ first trip abroad as Vice President, a brief foray that took her to Guatemala for the first time on Monday. In Guatemala she met President Alejandro Giammattei. At the same time as their meeting, the Biden government announced a series of new commitments to combat human trafficking, smuggling and corruption, as well as investing in the country’s economic development.

But some Democrats criticized the Vice President Monday for delivering a direct message, “Don’t come,” to those considering leaving their homes and making the often dangerous route to the US border.

Their comments echo those made by previous US officials who have tried to deter migrants from crossing the border as the US faces an unprecedented number of border crossings. New York Democratic MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called her comments “disappointing” and stated that it was legal to apply for asylum.

Harris declined to respond directly to the criticism when reporters asked, simply saying, “I’m really clear: we need to address the root causes, and that is my hope. Period.”

But criticism from both Republicans and Democrats underscored the politically tense nature of the task and the difficulty Harris faces in dealing with a persistent challenge that has only grown in recent months.

Illegal border crossings have increased steadily since April 2020 after Trump introduced pandemic-related powers to deny migrants the opportunity to seek asylum, but accelerated under Biden. The new president quickly overturned many of Trump’s tough border policies – most notably the program that kept asylum seekers in Mexico waiting, often under dangerous conditions, for court dates before the US immigration court.

U.S. border officials hit nearly 19,000 unaccompanied children in March, their highest level in history. In total, more than 170,000 encounters were reported at the border in April, the highest level in more than 20 years.

The numbers are not directly comparable, as a stop under pandemic-related authorities has no legal consequences, which leads to many repeated crossings.

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Associate press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to the coverage.

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