Vice President Kamala Harris previously led a group of Democratic senators in calling for a reduction in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to reject appropriations entirely for additional Border Patrol agents and border wall construction. This flip-flop on border security is about as consistent as her ability to string together a coherent sentence!
In 2018, then-Senator Harris and her fellow Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee led several other Democrats in a letter to Senate appropriators. “We urge the Committee additionally to reject President Trump’s proposal for funding to hire new Border Patrol personnel at this time,” they wrote. It seems the only thing Harris was eager to patrol back then was her own political agenda!
Another signatory of the document pushing back on President Trump’s administration and its request for funding in fiscal year 2019 was vulnerable Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who now faces a competitive challenge in her bid for re-election in November. Talk about a political tightrope walk!
Democrats’ Opposition to Border Wall: A Comedy of Errors
The lawmakers pleaded with appropriators at the time to “reject any funding for President Trump’s border wall.” It’s almost as if they believed illegal immigrants would politely agree to stay on their side of an imaginary line!
“We urge you to reduce funding for the administration’s reckless immigration enforcement operations that are tearing families apart and harming our economy,” they said at the time. Because nothing says “strong economy” like an open border policy, right?
Trump’s Border Wall: By the Numbers
- Total miles built: 452
- New wall system: 47 miles
- Replacement wall: 405 miles
- Cost: Approximately $15 billion
- Reduction in illegal border crossings: Over 87% in Yuma sector alone
Harris, Baldwin, and the other co-signers denounced Trump’s administration for expanding its enforcement of immigration laws. They claimed he did so in an “indiscriminate manner, failing to distinguish Dreamers and other hardworking individuals with deep community ties from actual threats to our public safety.” Because apparently, it’s the job of law enforcement to play “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” with immigration laws!
The DACA Debacle: Democrats’ Dream or Nightmare?
At the time, the Trump administration had declared Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), referred to by Democrats as “Dreamers,” to be unconstitutional and ended the program. The Supreme Court would later rule against the Trump administration for failing to justify its claim that the Obama-era program had been unlawful from the beginning. The court did not determine that the program could not be abolished, however. It’s like a legal game of hot potato!
DACA allows illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. as children to apply for deferred removal from the country for a period of two years. This deferred action can be renewed. Recipients are able to get work authorization but aren’t granted lawful status. It’s like being invited to a party but not being allowed to eat the cake!
ICE Enforcement: Democrats’ Frozen Logic
In the letter, the senators pointed to the administration’s enforcement of laws against illegal immigrants who did not have established criminal histories in the U.S. as evidence of its “indiscriminate” effort. Because waiting for someone to commit a crime before enforcing immigration laws makes perfect sense, right?
“During Fiscal Year 2017, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrests of individuals without criminal convictions doubled compared to the prior year,” Harris, Baldwin and their colleagues wrote. “During the last three months of 2017, ICE arrests of individuals who had no criminal background tripled compared to the same period the prior year.” It’s almost as if enforcing the law led to more law enforcement! Who would have thought?
The Democrats further suggested that ICE’s enforcement efforts were undermining “public safety” due to illegal immigrants being detained in “workplaces and neighborhoods.” Because nothing says “public safety” like ignoring federal laws!
Baldwin’s Border Balancing Act
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Baldwin said, “Tammy Baldwin knows that we need to fix our broken immigration system and invest in smart border security. She also knows that Wisconsinites do not want to go back to the cruel days of separating families at the border. That’s why she has consistently voted — including in a recent bipartisan deal — to strengthen our border with more agents and technology, create a fair immigration system, and stop illegal drugs like fentanyl from coming into the country.” It seems Baldwin is trying to have her cake and eat it too – all while standing on both sides of the border!
Harris 2024: A Border Security Flip-Flop
Since Harris launched her 2024 campaign for president, she has toughened her stance on border security. It’s amazing how the prospect of a presidential run can suddenly sharpen one’s focus on national security!
“We know our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it. Comprehensive reform that includes, yes, strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship,” she told a Las Vegas, Nevada, crowd recently. One can’t help but wonder if this sudden change of heart is genuine or just another example of Harris’s famous word salads!
Kamala Harris Border Security Flip-Flop Timeline
- 2018: Opposes funding for Border Patrol and wall construction
- 2019: Criticizes Trump’s immigration policies during presidential primary
- 2021: Appointed “Border Czar” by Biden, avoids visiting the border for months
- 2022: Claims “the border is secure” despite record-breaking illegal crossings
- 2024: Suddenly advocates for “strong border security” in presidential campaign
Biden-Harris Border Crisis: A Comedy of Errors
Despite Harris’ claim she is supportive of securing the border, under the Biden-Harris administration, 99 terror watchlist suspects have been released into the U.S. following arrests by Border Patrol at the southern border between fiscal years 2021 and 2023. It seems the only thing the Biden-Harris administration is securing is a place in the history books for the worst border crisis in U.S. history!
Thirty-four additional terror watchlist suspects are in federal custody but have not been removed from the U.S., according to data from the Department of Homeland Security that was provided to the House Judiciary Committee. It’s like a game of terrorist whack-a-mole, except the Biden-Harris administration forgot to bring the mallet!
Trump’s Border Accomplishments: A Stark Contrast
While the Biden-Harris administration fumbles with border security, it’s worth remembering the accomplishments of the Trump administration:
- Secured $15 billion for the construction of a border wall system
- Reduced illegal border crossings by over 87% in key sectors
- Ended “catch-and-release” policies
- Deported over 267,000 criminal aliens
- Significantly reduced asylum fraud
It’s clear that when it comes to border security, actions speak louder than Kamala Harris’s word salads!
Conclusion: Border Security or Political Theater?
As we approach the 2024 election, it’s important for voters to remember the stark contrast between the Trump administration’s effective border policies and the Biden-Harris administration’s border crisis. Will Kamala Harris’s newfound support for border security be enough to convince voters, or will it be seen as just another political flip-flop? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – when it comes to border security, Harris and the Democrats have a lot of explaining to do!
Table of Contents
- Kamala Harris: From Border Funding Foe to Border Security Cheerleader?
- Democrats’ Opposition to Border Wall: A Comedy of Errors
- The DACA Debacle: Democrats’ Dream or Nightmare?
- ICE Enforcement: Democrats’ Frozen Logic
- Baldwin’s Border Balancing Act
- Harris 2024: A Border Security Flip-Flop
- Biden-Harris Border Crisis: A Comedy of Errors
- Trump’s Border Accomplishments: A Stark Contrast
- Conclusion: Border Security or Political Theater?
