Kamala Harris will make her first trip as Vice President to the US-Mexico border on Friday. Vice President Harris is responsible for building strong diplomatic relations to alleviate the border crisis.
“Earlier this year, the President asked the Vice President to oversee our diplomatic efforts to address the root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. As part of this ongoing work, the Vice President traveled to Guatemala and Mexico earlier this month and will travel to El Paso on Friday,” Symone Sanders, a spokesperson for Harris, wrote in a statement released to Politico on Wednesday.
This is Vice President Harris’ first trip to the area.
Earlier this month, Vice President Harris took her first international trip to Guatemala and Mexico. She met with leaders and civil society organizations in both countries. Republicans have criticized her for her handling of the immigration issue.
A senior official said that the Vice President is using a “cause-and-effect” strategy — she went to Guatemala and Mexico to address the cause of the immigration issue. Her upcoming trip will be a response to the reaction of what has happened at the border.
“When the President asked me to deal with this issue, it was about addressing the root causes of migration, and the root causes are based on the problems and the challenges that people are facing in countries like Guatemala,” Harris said. “Which is why I was there.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will accompany Vice President Harris on the trip to the border.