Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Biden Puts Kamala Harris In Charge Of Border Influx

Biden Puts Kamala Harris In Charge Of Border Influx

"I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this," Biden said at a White House meeting with Harris by his side.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with tackling an influx of migrants on the Mexican border, aiming to take charge of a situation that has energized opponents of the new administration.

"I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this," Biden said at a White House meeting with Harris and other top officials as thousands flee violence in impoverished Central America.

"When she speaks, she speaks for me," Biden said, adding: "I give you a tough job."

Harris said there was "no question that this is a challenging situation."

It marks the first time that Biden has assigned a specific portfolio to Harris, who is seen as representing a younger generation in the Democratic Party and has been constantly at his side since they entered office in January.

A White House team was also joining lawmakers on a tour of a center in Texas for the rising number of unaccompanied migrant children.

Speaking earlier to CBS News, Harris acknowledged that the United States needed to speed up its processing of migrants' asylum claims and care better for them.

"It's a huge problem. I'm not going to pretend it's not," Harris said in the interview.

But she said that the administration, in office for less than 100 days, needed to repair a structure torn apart by former president Donald Trump, who rose to power on an aggressive anti-immigration agenda.

"We have to reconstruct it. It's not going to happen overnight," Harris said of the immigration system.

She also vowed a greater effort to address the "root causes" of the border situation -- helping the so-called Northern Triangle of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua so its people do not feel they need to flee.

The Washington Post, in an analysis looking at data, said there in fact has been no "surge" of migrants entering the United States, with recent numbers in line with seasonal norms before the Covid-19 pandemic.

But more of the migrants are children, officials say, and the border influx has unified Republicans and provided a line of attack against Biden, who in his first weeks has succeeded in his promises to ramp up Covid vaccinations and to push through an economic package that offers relief to most Americans.

Partial shift from Trump


Republicans accuse Biden of encouraging migration through a more welcoming approach than Trump, who in his final year essentially closed the border to all undocumented migrants by citing a public health emergency from Covid-19.

Top House Republican Kevin McCarthy has spoken of a "Biden border crisis" and former secretary of state Mike Pompeo tweeted that Biden "supports restrictions on pretty much everything except the border."

Biden halted construction on Trump's cherished wall on the Mexican border and has moved to wind down a controversial Trump policy, which migrant advocates say violates international conventions, in which asylum seekers are forced to wait in Mexico while their cases are heard.

Biden has also faced concern from fellow Democrats who are alarmed at the conditions for children.

In one of Trump's most draconian actions which his aides saw as a deterrent, the United States separated thousands of Central American children from their parents.

While the Biden administration is still expelling adults who arrive without documentation, it has refused to send back into harm's way children who are unaccompanied by a guardian.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said the administration was setting up more temporary shelters for children, acknowledging the United States was falling short in its goal of transferring children out of custody of border guards within 72 hours.

Critics accuse Biden of replacing Trump's unapologetically harsh measures with an approach of hiding the treatment of migrants by restricting media access.

The White House said it was committed to transparency and would work to let in more journalists on the ground.

It said one television network would pool coverage of Wednesday's tour by White House officials and lawmakers of the center in Carrizo Springs, Texas.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×