Vice President Kamala Harris ended her visit to the southern US border on Friday, saying the Biden administration had “made progress” in addressing the problem posed by the record numbers of immigrants arriving at the border in recent months.
The increase in the number of immigrants during the Biden administration has brought to the fore the dire security situation in Central American countries that forces many residents from these countries to leave in difficult conditions, in the hands of unscrupulous traffickers to come to the United States. United. The situation has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats.
During the visit, Ms. Harris appeared to blame the previous administration, at least in part, for the situation at the border, telling religious leaders, immigrant shelter managers and charity managers in El Paso, Texas, “We inherited a difficult situation. ”.
“In five months we have made progress, but there is still work ahead,” she said.
The vice president’s visit comes as part of the administration’s efforts to control and discourage the influx of immigrants to the United States, paying more attention to social and security issues in Central America.
“The stories I heard today re-emphasize the nature of the problems. “What is required and what we will do is a comprehensive work that targets every element of the problem,” said the vice president.
During the stop at the U.S.-Mexico border, Ms. Harris made an unannounced visit to the Paso del Norte Entry Point, where she visited a reception area for immigrants, including an unaccompanied child area. She spoke to a border patrol agent who said her conditions at the facility have improved over the past two years.
The vice president was accompanied by National Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas, whom she praised for “doing an excellent job”.
Before visiting the border, Vice President Harris made a stop at a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) facility and met with lawmaker Veronica Escobar in El Paso, Texas.
“I am just happy to be here. “I always planned to come here and I think we will have a good productive day,” she said after arriving in El Paso.
Vice President Kamala Harris faces perhaps the most challenging political moment during Friday’s visit to the southern border of the United States, as part of her role in directing the Biden administration’s response to a massive increase in immigration.
Ms. Harris was in Guatemala and Mexico earlier this month, sending a clear message to immigrants: “Do not come” to the United States, she said.
But thousands of immigrants from these two countries, as well as from Honduras and El Salvador, take the long and dangerous journey, often on foot, to escape the poverty and crime in their home countries.
U.S. border guards have faced the largest number of illegal immigrants in two decades. They caught over 180,000 in May alone. This figure represents a small increase from the nearly 170,000 people caught in March as well as in April.