HEREFORD, Arizona, Aug 1 (Reuters) – JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for the ongoing issue of illegal immigration during his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Thursday. He claimed that the influx of migrants is putting a strain on American schools and hospitals.
Standing in front of the border wall in Hereford, Vance labeled Harris a failed “border czar.” He argued that she should have collaborated with U.S. agencies to address illegal crossings, despite her role focusing primarily on migration from Northern Central America. “Kamala Harris as border czar was asked to coordinate all these functions in government, and she’s done nothing,” Vance stated.
Republicans have sought to hold Harris accountable for the rise in illegal immigration during President Joe Biden’s administration. Biden, a Democrat, withdrew from the presidential race last month, making Harris the likely nominee for the upcoming election.
In response to the criticisms, Harris highlighted her support for a bipartisan border security bill introduced in the U.S. Senate earlier this year. However, Republicans dismissed the bill after Trump voiced his opposition. “Donald Trump does not care about border security,” Harris said during a speech in Atlanta on Tuesday. “He only cares about himself.”
While the number of migrants apprehended for illegal border crossings surged to record levels under Biden, these figures have dropped significantly since he implemented new border restrictions in June. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended approximately 57,000 migrants illegally crossing in July, according to two U.S. officials, marking the lowest monthly total since September 2020, when Trump was still in office.
Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, frequently references his experiences with drug addiction during childhood. He argued that Harris’s policies have facilitated the entry of fentanyl into the U.S., even though most individuals convicted of fentanyl trafficking in recent years are U.S. citizens.
Vance expressed concern that American children “feel overwhelmed with migrant children who shouldn’t be there” and noted that hospital wait times have “exploded” as migrants seek healthcare services.
The Trump campaign did not provide immediate evidence to support Vance’s claims. “The human toll of this is the thing that we cannot forget,” Vance concluded.