Biden Taps Harris to Take Lead on Response to Border Crisis

March 24, 2021 by TWN Staff
Biden Taps Harris to Take Lead on Response to Border Crisis
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a business roundtable event at Maria Empanada, Tuesday March 16, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is putting Vice President Kamala Harris in charge of leading the White House effort to get a handle on the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Biden made the announcement as he and Harris met at the White House on Wednesday with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other immigration advisers to discuss the increase in young migrants arriving at the border in recent weeks.

“Starting today, the Northern Triangle nations and Mexico will know there was one senior official dedicated to this effort. To be very clear, this is an important task,” a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call shortly before the announcement.

Harris will lead efforts with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to manage the flow of unaccompanied children and migrant families arriving at the border in numbers not seen since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

In delegating the matter to Harris, Biden is taking a step very similar to one President Barack Obama took, turning to his vice president — Joe Biden — early in his first term, to lead the White House effort to draw down U.S. troops in the intractable war in Iraq.

In his remarks on Wednesday, Biden spoke of “serious spikes” in the number of people heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. “This new surge we are dealing with now started in the past administration but is our responsibility,” he said.

“I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this,” Biden said, mentioning Harris’ work as California attorney general.
 
Harris said there is “no question this is a challenging situation,” and that it will be critical going forward to both enforce existing laws on immigration while also addressing the root causes of the surge.

She also said she looks forward to engaging in diplomacy with the four countries, as well as engaging with the private sector in each of them.

With the move, Biden hopes to show Americans he’s taking the border situation seriously after facing stiff criticism from Republicans as the flow of migrants has increased since he took office in January.

The announcement and high-level meeting coming the same day the White House arranged a trip for senior aides and member of Congress to South Texas illustrated the breadth of the administration’s efforts to get control of the problem.

A+
a-
  • El Salvador
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Immigration
  • Joe Biden
  • Kamala Harris
  • Mexico
  • migrants
  • U.S.-Mexico border
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Immigration

    March 19, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Supreme Court Gives Texas Green Light to Deport Illegal Immigrants

    WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Texas to begin enforcing a state law that effectively allows officials... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Texas to begin enforcing a state law that effectively allows officials to deport undocumented immigrants, despite objections from the Biden administration, which argued only the federal government has authority over immigration issues. In an unsigned order, the... Read More

    CDC Team Joins Response to Seven Measles Cases in Chicago Shelter for Migrants

    CHICAGO (AP) — Seven people living at a Chicago shelter for migrants have tested positive for measles since last week,... Read More

    CHICAGO (AP) — Seven people living at a Chicago shelter for migrants have tested positive for measles since last week, prompting the arrival of a team with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to guide city and state officials' response to the infections, including vaccination... Read More

    Supreme Court Allows Federal Agents to Cut Razor Wire Texas Installed on US-Mexico Border

    WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Border Patrol agents to resume cutting for now razor wire that... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Border Patrol agents to resume cutting for now razor wire that Texas installed along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border that is at the center of an escalating standoff between the Biden administration and the state over immigration enforcement. The... Read More

    Reliance on Immigration Detention Is Trapping Us All  

    I was sitting in church a few Sundays ago and, as is often the case, during a quiet moment, my... Read More

    I was sitting in church a few Sundays ago and, as is often the case, during a quiet moment, my mind turned to work. Then, the congregation stood up and we began singing the hymn, “I’ll Fly Away.” The line that I love is, “like a... Read More

    Biden Administration Sues Abbott Over Rio Grande Buoy Barrier Meant to Stop Migrants

    AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department on Monday sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over a newly installed floating barrier on the... Read More

    AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department on Monday sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over a newly installed floating barrier on the Rio Grande that is the Republican's latest aggressive tactic to try to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. The lawsuit asks a federal... Read More

    June 23, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Supreme Court Revives Biden Deportation Guidelines

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday revived immigration guidelines set by the Biden administration that prioritized the arrest and... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday revived immigration guidelines set by the Biden administration that prioritized the arrest and deportation of individuals known to pose a national security risk to the nation or “egregious threats to public safety” over those who merely entered the country... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top