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Vice President Kamala Harris has recently taken a proactive stance on immigration, a topic Democrats have traditionally left to Republicans.
As she prepares to tour battleground states with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris is highlighting her past efforts against transnational gangs and drug traffickers as California’s attorney general.
“The vice president has a compelling story to tell about prosecuting transnational gangs and drug traffickers as the attorney general of a border state,” a campaign official stated. “That record will make it harder for the Trump camp’s attacks on her to stick.”
This change in strategy comes as a notable shift for Democrats, who have often avoided the contentious topic of immigration. Harris, addressing a cheering crowd in Atlanta, proudly recounted her experiences dealing with border issues. “In that job, I walked underground tunnels between the United States and Mexico,” she said. “I went after transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers that came into our country illegally. I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won.”
The shift in Democratic messaging began earlier this year when former President Donald Trump urged House Republicans to reject a bipartisan border funding bill. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., expressed frustration over the Republicans’ blatant political maneuvering. “We did not go into these negotiations thinking this was about politics,” Murphy said. “But after Republicans smashed it to pieces, we’d have been fools not to take the gift-wrapped political advantage.”
Democrats quickly capitalized on this, conducting polling and making immigration a focal point in a congressional special election in New York, which Democrat Tom Suozzi won. Murphy noted, “They were abandoning a very good border compromise because Trump told them to. It was the transparency of Republicans that made this a layup politically.”
Despite President Joe Biden’s efforts to address immigration, including an executive action tightening border restrictions, polls showed limited traction. Democrats now hope Harris can present a stronger case. “Donald Trump does not care about border security,” Harris declared at the Atlanta rally. “He only cares about himself.”
Shortly after taking office, Biden tasked Harris with overseeing diplomatic efforts with the Northern Triangle countries to address the “root causes” of migration. Harris has emphasized that her efforts have led to billions of dollars in private-sector commitments to address these causes. However, her role has been frequently mischaracterized by political opponents, who labeled her the “border czar.”
Jodi Goodwin, an immigration attorney in Texas, highlighted the importance of addressing both immediate and long-term immigration issues. “If there’s an effective plan or policy to deal with ‘root causes,’ then that should alleviate the issues that we see at the border,” she said.
At the New York Times DealBook Summit, Harris reiterated the need for a legislative fix to the broken immigration system. “It needs to be repaired, and we are working on that in a way that we establish a safe and humane and orderly immigration system at the border,” Harris said. “There are political games being played with this because, in November of ’24, some people have decided that may be the best weapon against an incumbent Democrat.”
Despite criticism, Harris’ allies argue that Republican attempts to link her to increased border crossings are an “active mistake,” especially as migrant crossings have dropped dramatically in recent months following tightened asylum rules.
Senator Murphy sees this as an opportunity to sway voters. “We have to prove to people that we are not just compassionate,” Murphy said, “but that we are also tough.”
