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Kamala Harris was never the “border czar” despite right-wing claims

Written by Chloe Simon

Published

After President Joe Biden announced he was ending his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, right-wing media began to resurface the lie that Harris was the Biden’s administration “border czar,” trying to pin the “failures” of the border on Harris as part of their push to make immigration a central theme of the 2024 presidential election. But that was not her title nor how her role functioned in the border policy. 

  • Harris’ involvement in the border primarily extended to addressing “root causes” in Central American countries causing people to flee

    • In 2021, Biden tapped Harris to lead the White House’s efforts to address migration along the U.S.-Mexico border. In this role, Harris was charged with addressing the supposed “root causes” of migration by improving economic and social conditions in several Central American countries and encouraging stronger enforcement along those countries' own borders. [The Associated Press, 3/24/21; The White House, 5/27/21]
    • CBS: “Harris was not asked to be the administration's ‘border czar’ or to oversee immigration policy and enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border.” CBS explained, “That has mainly been the responsibility of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and his department, which oversees the country's main three immigration agencies, including Customs and Border Protection.” [CBS News, 7/22/24]
    • The American Immigration Council’s Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: Harris was not tasked with Biden's “admin's border policy” but rather with “leading the administration's diplomatic ‘root causes’ strategies in Central America.” [Twitter/X, 7/22/24]
    • Harris and her Partnership for Central America coalition have obtained $5.2 billion from companies since May 2021 to “promote economic opportunities and reduce violence in the region.” [U.S. Embassy in Honduras, 3/25/24]

  • Right-wing media attacks on the border are often in bad faith and disingenuous

    • Fox News went into overdrive to kill a bipartisan border bill that contained longstanding conservative priorities on immigration after former President Donald Trump voiced his opposition to it. This bipartisan bill, which Republicans killed in early February, would have provided $20 billion in emergency spending for border security, reportedly ended “catch and release,” added funding to expand the border wall, expanded detention capacity, provided more funding for ICE, and raised asylum standards. [Media Matters, 3/5/24; NBC News, 2/7/24; Reuters, 2/5/24]
    • Border crossings, which right-wing media continually push as a threat, have fallen dramatically and have been down 40% since late 2023. [Media Matters, 5/23/24; The Washington Post, 5/8/24]

  • Since Biden endorsed Harris, right-wing media have been frantically calling her Harris a “failed border czar” even though that was never her role

    • Fox News host Sean Hannity said that Harris’ “role as border czar has been an abject failure.” He added: “Aside from one short visit to El Paso, Kamala Harris hasn’t lifted a finger to secure the border. Under her watch and Joe’s watch, a record of 10-plus unvetted illegal immigrants from over 175 countries have poured into our country, including people, a record number of suspected terrorists, gang members, other criminals.” [Fox News, Hannity, 7/21/24]
    • On Fox News, Republican National Committee Chairperson Michael Whatley said that Harris “was a border czar who has let 10 million illegal immigrants come across the southern border and are threatening every community by making them a border community.” [Fox News, Fox Report, 7/21/24]
    • TheBlaze wrote a piece titled “Border czar Kamala Harris has not spoken with past 2 Border Patrol chiefs,” even though the piece later added the context that her role was to “learn the ‘root causes’ of the surges at the U.S. southern border.” The piece also noted farther down that it was Republicans who dubbed her the border czar. [TheBlaze, 7/22/24]
    • Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller alleged on Fox that Harris wouldn’t be able to win states like Arizona and Nevada in the 2024 presidential election because she was “Joe Biden's border czar.” Miller added, “That's going to be a disqualifier.” [Twitter/X, 7/22/24]
    • Fox News contributor Sara Carter labeled Harris the “failed Border Czar” and “a complete failure,” adding she “believes in open borders, puts Americans last with policies that create chaos throughout the region.” Carter also wrote, “The fact that he [Biden] endorsed her isn’t surprising- the puppeteers of the administration have a plan.” [Twitter/X, 7/21/24]
    • A piece by Breitbart claimed that “after being named Border Czar for the Biden administration, Vice President Harris stood by and watched as more than 11 million migrants illegally entered the United States illegally.” The article also attacked Harris for supporting the Medicare for All bill, framing it as her support for “free health care for illegal immigrants.” [Breitbart, 7/21/24]
    • Right-wing commentator Bill Mitchell claimed that “Kamala Harris's most high profile, most important job as VP was to be the ‘Border Czar." Mitchell added, “Since taking this role, 10 million illegals including criminals, terrorists, ISIS members, Chinese fighting-age young men, gangs, drug smugglers and child sex traffickers have streamed unabated into the United states. She has FAILED UTTERLY at her only big job.” [Twitter/X, 7/22/24]
    • In response to a 2017 Harris tweet saying that “an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal,” right-wing legal activist Paul Ingrassia posted, “America, here is your border czar.” Ingrassia also complained that “under a Kamala administration, no person will be illegal” and that “all 8 billion people on earth will be given voting rights, healthcare, and housing.” [Twitter/X, 7/21/24]
    • Fox News contributor Steve Hilton argued that “as Border Czar, Kamala Harris presided over the biggest disaster of the failed Biden presidency.” Hilton continued, “Crime, chaos, humanitarian catastrophe - that's her record. Now the Democratic Party wants to put her in charge. What contempt they must have for the American people.” [Twitter/X, 7/21/24]
    • Fox News contributor Tulsi Gabbard called Harris “border czar,” blaming her and Biden for a supposed “open border policy” which she said has let in “an unprecedented number of people crossing our border illegally.” Gabbard also blamed Harris for having “essentially aided and abetted these cartels and their multibillion-dollar human trafficking industry, making our country far less safe.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 7/21/24]