Harris Urgently Deployed to Address 'Illegal Immigration'... "Will Visit Border Area Soon"

Source: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg News

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] U.S. President Joe Biden has urgently deployed Vice President Kamala Harris to address the issue of illegal immigration at the southern border. Vice President Harris plans to visit the southern border soon with President Biden to assess the situation firsthand.

According to Bloomberg on the 24th (local time), President Biden announced during a meeting with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to discuss immigrant issues at the border that he has entrusted Vice President Kamala Harris with a critical role.

President Biden said, "I cannot think of anyone better qualified for this job," adding, "Her words represent me."

This is the first time President Biden has officially assigned a mission to Vice President Harris since taking office. Bloomberg evaluated that this assignment signals the concretization of her duties, while also carrying the risk of criticism as she takes on a difficult problem to solve.

A senior official who requested anonymity described this move as a sign of trust in Vice President Harris's leadership, noting that her experience as California’s Attorney General was a key factor in this decision.

Unlike the tough policies of the Donald Trump administration, President Biden, who has advocated a compassionate immigration policy, introduced an immigration reform bill that opens a path to citizenship instead of deporting minor illegal immigrants, leading to a sharp increase in unaccompanied minors attempting illegal entry.

Currently, most individuals entering the U.S. with family members are denied stay and sent back to their home countries, but minors entering alone are kept in detention facilities instead of being deported.

As a result, the number of immigrants gathering at the southern U.S. border has surged to the highest level in 20 years. According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statistics, more than 15,000 minor immigrants are currently detained in facilities operated by DHS or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after crossing the border.

Due to the continuous influx of immigrants, CBP detention facilities have already exceeded their capacity.

Vice President Harris plans to develop strategies to curb immigrant inflows and work on improving relations not only with neighboring Mexico but also with the 'Northern Triangle' countries of Central America?Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador?from where many immigrants originate.

In an interview with CBS News on the same day, Vice President Harris said she will soon visit the border region with President Biden. She stated, "We are addressing the (illegal immigration) issue, but it looks like it will take some time to resolve."

Vice President Harris intends to strengthen law enforcement at the border and, within weeks, engage in discussions with leaders of the Northern Triangle countries to address the root causes of immigration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.