U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has reiterated her commitment to strengthening border security, stressing the need for enhanced measures to tackle illegal immigration and the ongoing fentanyl crisis. She took aim at former President Donald Trump for obstructing a bipartisan border security bill that had gained significant support in Congress.
“Last December, I advocated for increasing overtime pay for border agents,” Harris stated. “I was a strong supporter of the comprehensive border security bill, drafted last year by a bipartisan group of senators, including one of the most conservative members of Congress.”
Describing the proposed legislation as “the strongest security bill we have seen in decades,” Harris explained that it aimed to address several critical challenges at the southern border. The bill proposed hiring an additional 1,500 border agents and officers, installing 100 inspection machines to detect fentanyl, and expanding the number of immigration judges and asylum officers. “It would have enabled us to more quickly and effectively remove those who come here illegally,” she added.
Despite being endorsed by the Border Patrol Union, the bill was ultimately blocked by Trump. “Donald Trump derailed it. He called some allies in Congress and told them to stop the bill because he prefers to campaign on an issue rather than solve it,” Harris asserted.
She argued that as a result of Trump’s interference, the border remains less secure. “The American people deserve a President who prioritizes border security over political games and personal ambitions.”
Harris pledged that if she were elected President, she would revive the bill and sign it into law. “Even though Donald Trump tried to sabotage the border security bill, I promise that as President of the United States, I will bring it back and proudly sign it into law.”
This pledge comes amidst ongoing debates over border security, especially after the Trump administration’s success in securing a Supreme Court ruling allowing the use of $2.5 billion from the Department of Defense to construct parts of a border wall. Despite Congress’s refusal to allocate the requested funds, the Court’s 5-4 decision permitted Trump to proceed with the controversial wall, a move that has further fueled divisions on the best approach to securing the border.
Many lawmakers opposed the decision, warning that diverting funds from the Pentagon could undermine national security priorities.