In a recent campaign speech, Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to revive bipartisan efforts to secure the U.S. border and reform the nation’s immigration system if elected president in November.
Harris, drawing on her decades of experience in law enforcement, stressed the critical need for safety and security while also addressing the nation’s longstanding challenges in immigration policy.
“After decades in law enforcement, I know the importance of safety and security, especially at our border,” Harris stated. “Last year, Joe [Biden] and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades. The Border Patrol endorsed it. But Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign. So he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal. Well, I refuse to play politics with our security.”
Harris pledged to reintroduce and sign into law the bipartisan border security bill that was blocked under the previous administration.
The bill, which garnered support from both sides of the aisle and was endorsed by the U.S. Border Patrol, aimed to strike a balance between strengthening border security and providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
The vice president also highlighted the broader goal of reforming the nation’s “broken immigration system,” advocating for an earned pathway to citizenship while ensuring robust border security.
“We can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants,” Harris said. “We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.”
Immigration reform has been a contentious issue in U.S. politics, with repeated attempts to address the problem stalling in Congress.
The legislation that Harris referenced was viewed by many as a comprehensive approach that would address both the concerns of those seeking stricter border enforcement and the humanitarian needs of millions of undocumented immigrants living in the country.
Harris’s commitment to bringing back the bipartisan legislation underscores her administration’s intent to prioritize immigration reform.
The issue remains a key topic in the upcoming election, with voters divided over how to best handle the complexities of border security and immigration.
