UNSPECIFIED - JANUARY 20: In this screengrab, Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Celebrating America Primetime Special on January 20, 2021. The livestream event hosted by Tom Hanks features remarks by president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris and performances representing diverse American talent. (Photo by Handout/Biden Inaugural Committee via Getty Images )
March 25, 2021- 10:45 p.m
On Wednesday, Harris announced that President Joe Biden had put her in charge of the efforts to address a surge in attempts to cross the US border.
However, many were quick to criticize Harris for past comments indicating she’d be lax on immigration and particularly, a comment where she compared the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the KKK.
In 2018, when speaking to former ICE Acting Director Ronald Vitiello, Harris asked if he could see parallels between the agency and the white supremacist hate group.
“Are you aware of the perception of many about how the power and the discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws and do you see any parallels [with the KKK]?” Harris asked.
She went on: “Are you aware that there is a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?”
The veep has also been accused in the past of flip-flopping on her stance on illegal immigration.In a June 2019 presidential primary debate, Harris was one of the contenders who signaled that she was in favor of decriminalization.
However, in an appearance on The View a month later, she walked back on supporting decriminalization.
“At no point in her career has [Harris] given any indication that she considers the border a problem or a serious threat,” he said on Wednesday.
The border crisis was discussed extensively during a press conference given by Biden on Thursday afternoon.The president fielded questions — at times stumbling through his answers — about the apparent influx in illegal immigration attempts since he took office.
Biden, however, said that the increase was due to the time of year, and pointed out that immigration attempts increased under Donald Trump’s administration as well.
“By the way, does anyone suggest that … there was a 31 percent increase under Trump because he was a nice guy?” Biden asked, referring to the fact that some think he is too soft on the border crisis.
He also noted that the “the vast majority – the overwhelming majority – coming to the border are being sent back.”
“Tens of thousands of people who are over 18 years of age and single – one at a time – coming have been sent back,” he told reporters.
