This borders on madness.
Vice President Kamala Harris served up one other serving to of phrase salad Sunday whereas insisting that the US-Mexico frontier is “safe” — regardless of the variety of unlawful migrant arrests setting a tempo to surpass a staggering 2 million for the primary time ever later this month.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press”, Harris admitted the immigration system “nonetheless must be fastened” earlier than blaming the Trump administration for the border surge that has occurred since President Biden took workplace.
“The border is safe, however we even have a damaged immigration system, particularly, during the last 4 years earlier than we got here in, and it must be fastened,” Harris informed host Chuck Todd in Houston.
“We’re going to have 2 million folks cross this border for the primary time ever. You’re assured this border’s safe?” Todd adopted.
The veep, who was put in command of border points by Biden 18 months in the past, descended into incoherence as a response.
“We now have a safe border in that that may be a precedence for any nation, together with ours and our administration,” Harris insisted. “However there are nonetheless numerous issues that we are attempting to repair given the deterioration that occurred during the last 4 years.
“We additionally must put into place a legislation and a plan for a pathway for citizenship for the tens of millions of people who find themselves right here and are ready to do what's legally required to realize citizenship,” Harris added earlier than attempting to shift the blame away from the Biden administration, saying: “We don’t have that in place as a result of persons are taking part in politics in a state like this [Texas] and in Congress.”
Republicans have been outraged by Harris’ feedback.
“Almost 5 million unlawful aliens have crossed our border below Biden’s watch,” tweeted Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) on Monday. “That is the most important determine in American historical past. The border shouldn't be safe.”
“When VP Harris says our border is safe, she’s mendacity on behalf of this White Home,” chimed in Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).
Migrant arrest numbers have virtually doubled below the Biden administration and have already exceeded final yr’s document, based on the newest Customs and Border Safety knowledge.
To date this fiscal yr, Border Patrol brokers have reported greater than 1.94 million encounters on the border, which is up from the 1.73 million encounters in all of 2021 and simply over 458,000 in 2020.
In the meantime, 748 migrants have died trying to cross into the US this fiscal yr, Division of Homeland Safety border knowledge exhibits. The grim new document is up from the 557 deaths recorded in 2021, based on the information.
Lawmakers on each side of the political aisle have blamed the Biden administration’s insurance policies for the surge in border-crossers because the president took workplace in January 2021.
Biden, who vowed through the 2020 election marketing campaign to reverse Trump’s extra restrictive and controversial insurance policies, named Harris as his border czar in March final yr.
On the time, Biden mentioned his right-hand lady could be in command of figuring out the “root causes” of the surge in border crossings and tapped her because the “most certified individual” to head up the trouble.
Regardless of placing her stamp on the difficulty by making appearances in border cities and warning migrants “don't come” throughout a visit to Guatemala within the early days, Harris has been dogged by criticism that she’s been largely silent on the immigration debate ever since.
In latest months, her border discussions have largely been restricted to one-on-one conferences, closed door occasions and ready statements.
Her Democratic colleague, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), revealed in December that he had given up on attempting to work along with her on border-related points.
“I say this very respectfully to her: I moved on,” Cuellar informed the New York Instances. “She was tasked with that job, it doesn’t seem like she’s very on this, so we're going to transfer on to folks that work on this subject.”
The VP’s immigration feedback weren’t the one jaw-dropping moments of her interview with Todd. Harris additionally attacked the Supreme Court docket as an “activist” department of presidency, saying it had prompted “struggling” by overturning Roe v. Wade earlier this yr.
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