By Axios | Created at 2024-09-26 12:25:55 | Updated at 2024-09-30 07:19:29
3 days ago
Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Friday as her campaign attempts to show she is the best-prepared candidate to tackle the simmering issue of immigration.
Why it matters: Harris has faced relentless attacks from former President Trump and Republicans who claim she's ill-equipped to handle what they've called a crisis at the southern border.
Driving the news: At Friday's campaign stop in Douglas, Arizona, Harris will discuss border security, according to a campaign aide speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a trip that was still being planned.
- In particular, Harris will share how she is proposing to send new agents to the border and new technology to target the flow of fentanyl, the aide said.
- Harris has cast herself as a former "border state prosecutor," leaning into a more hawkish stance while still pushing for a path to citizenship.
The other side: Speaking at a North Carolina rally, Trump said Harris was traveling to the border for "political reasons."
- Republicans have taken aim at Harris as the administration's "border czar," blaming her for the influx of migrants crossing into the country. Harris' campaign and the Biden administration have said she never had the title.
Flashback: She has repeatedly pointed to the bipartisan border security deal that crumbled after Trump expressed his distaste for the legislation and Senate Republicans withheld support for it.
- He has promised an aggressive approach to immigration if elected, including mass deportations.
The big picture: Immigration is among the top issues for 2024 voters.
- Harris' campaign has steered away from some more liberal policies she ran on in her prior presidential bid.
- Instead, she has doubled down on tough-on-the-border rhetoric — sparking some concern among progressive groups and immigration advocates.
- In an NBC News poll published earlier this month, voters overwhelmingly said they thought Trump would be better at securing the border than Harris.
Go deeper: Harris mum on her past pledge for "Dreamers"
