Can Kamala Harris Handle a Humanitarian Crisis?

This was written by Myla, one of our student interns. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.

Vice President Kamala Harris is having a godawful season. With the ongoing border crisis, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end soon. Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris took a two-day trip to Central America. Her trip was aimed at addressing corruption, human trafficking, and the flow of Central American migrants coming to the United States border.

 On her first day, she visited the country of Guatemala to address its root causes of migration and address migrants. Unfortunately, she made a grave mistake. Sending a message to migrants, Harris stated, “I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border, do not come.”

She added, “the United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border. There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur. One of our priorities will discourage illegal migration…if you come to our border, you will be turned back.”

After hearing her speech, I was astounded by her words. I could sense the imminent backlash in the media. Her words would not be taken lightly by either side of the aisle. However, Harris failed to realize the future ramifications or consequences of her words. After the divisive era of the previous administration, one would think that the Vice President would choose her words wisely. Democrat Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called Harris’s statements, “disappointing to see.” She added, “First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can’t help set someone’s house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.” I can understand Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism of how Harris is handling the border crisis. Harris’s message to the migrants is almost similar to the previous administration’s message. Trump’s administration emphasized enforcing our laws, securing our borders, and discouraging illegal immigration. Of course, Harris’s comments can result in her being called a hypocrite by the Republican Party. She has criticized the Trump administration’s policies but has used similar language as the former president. Not only did she make remarks that go against the nation’s asylum laws, but the Vice President has yet to make a public visit to the United States- Mexico border.

In an interview with NBC’S Lester Holt, she became very defensive when questioned on the issue of visiting the Southern Border. The interview aired the night before Air Force Two touched down in Guatemala. “At some point, you know, we are going to the border,” Harris responded. “We’ve been to the border. So, this whole thing about the border. We’ve been to the border. We’ve been to the border.” Unsurprisingly, Holt contradicted her statement mentioning how she has not been to the border. “And I haven’t been to Europe!” Harris declared. “And I mean-I don’t understand the point that you’re making. I’m not discounting the importance of the border.”

Since the interview with Lester Holt aired before her trip to Guatemala, the media was prepared for more mishaps. Her address to migrants added on to the criticism. If those interactions with the media were not bad enough, following her arrival in Central America, Harris had another interview. During an interview with Univision anchor Ilia Calderón, the Vice President was pressured, yet again, on visiting the border. As she was speaking, Calderon interrupted her. “When are you going to the border, Vice President?” Calderón questioned. It was very apparent that Harris was disturbed by the incident. “I’m not finished,” she replied with an awkward laugh. “I’ve said I’m going to the border.” Calderón continued to pursue the issue by adding, “Do you have a date for your trip to the border?” Unsurprisingly, the Vice President gave the typical answer to avoiding a question from the press. “I will keep you posted,” she replied.

 In my opinion, Harris is discounting the importance of the border by not committing to visiting the Southern Border. Furthermore, she is avoiding the issue. In order to truly understand the overwhelming number of immigrants entering the country, one must visit the border. The border is where unaccompanied minors are taken into US custody. The border is significant to the relationship between North America and Central America. Can Kamala Harris handle this humanitarian crisis? Well, time will tell.