Kamala Harris promotes border security, immigration reform during Douglas visit

PHOENIX – Vice President Kamala Harris made her first visit to the Arizona-Mexico border since becoming the Democratic candidate for president.

In a visit to the border city of Douglas on Friday afternoon, she spoke on reforming the current immigration system, the fentanyl crisis and contrasted her policy against Donald Trump’s.

It has been a tight race between Harris and Trump in Arizona, and both have focused on the border in their visits to the state. A major targeting point for Trump has been Harris’ role in the current problems at the border.

In her speech, she voiced her support of the bipartisan border bill that stagnated in Congress due to Trump’s desire to keep the issue as a campaign platform. Harris said that if passed, the bill would have hired more border agents, installed fentanyl scanning machines and increased the number of available immigration judges and asylum officers.

“It should be in effect today, producing results, in real time right now for our country.” Harris said. “But Donald Trump tanked it … because he prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.

“And the American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games and their personal political future.”

One of Harris’ promises if she wins the White House in November is to work with Congress to bring the bill back and sign it into law.

Concerns over the rise of drugs, such as fentanyl, coming across the border  is an issue both candidates have said they will address. The vice president vowed to make preventing the flow of fentanyl a top priority.

To solve the problem of fentanyl coming through legal ports of entry, Harris said she would add more agents, improve training and install 100 new inspection systems that can detect fentanyl and the chemicals to make it inside vehicles. She also spotlighted investing in state-of-the-art technology and doubling resources for the Department of Justice so they can extradite and prosecute the cartel as other solutions.

“I will ensure that we target the entire global fentanyl supply chain because we must materially and sustainably disrupt the flow of illicit fentanyl coming into our country,” Harris said.

Her scope expanded past the border and focused on China, which she said was where the precursor ingredients for fentanyl come from.

“Our administration demanded that China crack down on the companies that make those chemicals and if it has started to happen,” Harris said. “But they need to do more and as president, I will hold them to their commitment to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals coming from China.”

Harris served as California’s attorney general from 2011-17, an experience she emphasized to show her ability in dealing with drug trafficking operations.

“The issue of border security is not a new issue to me. I saw the violence and chaos that transnational criminal organizations caused,” Harris said. “And the heartbreak and loss from the spread of their illicit drugs.”

Harris has campaigned on creating a better immigration system while still enforcing border security.

Harris said her administration could solve the lengthy amount of time it takes for asylum claims to be decided. To do so, she supported hiring more asylum officers and expanding processing centers in people’s home countries.

“As president, I will work with Congress to create, at long last, a pathway to citizenship for hardworking immigrants who have been here for years,” Harris said.

At the same time, the vice president expressed firm consequences for those who attempt to come into the U.S. illegally.

“To reduce illegal border crossings, I will take further action to keep the border closed between ports of entry,”  Harris said. “Those who cross our borders unlawfully will be apprehended and removed and barred from re-entering for five years.

“We will pursue more severe criminal charges against repeat violators and if someone does not make an asylum request at a legal point of entry and instead crosses our border unlawfully, they will be barred from receiving asylum.”

Before Harris’ speech, she walked a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, speaking with Border Patrol leaders.