Vice President Kamala Harris is presently campaigning as a strong advocate for border security; however, she previously committed to shutting down all migrant detention facilities on her first day in office. A recently surfaced video from a 2019 town hall meeting, during her campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, reveals her affirmative response to a question posed by an audience member regarding her intentions to close these centers. This statement aligns with her previous remarks against stringent border enforcement made during her 2020 candidacy and her tenure as a U.S. senator representing California.
“I’m a volunteer with the Center for Worker Justice,” the attendee said in the video. “I want to know, when you become president, would you be committing to close the immigration detention centers?”
“Absolutely, on day one. On day one,” Harris responded.
Watch:
Open borders Kamala wants to free all criminal illegal immigrants.
Attendee: “I want to know, when you become president, would you be committing to close the immigration detention centers?”
Kamala: “Absolutely, on day one. On day one.” pic.twitter.com/XLfrhyLpns
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 12, 2024
It remains uncertain whether Harris continues to advocate for the closure of migrant detention centers, as her campaign has not responded to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation regarding this matter. Harris’ campaign has produced at least two distinct advertisements asserting her commitment to “fixing the border” if elected president, alongside a promise to combat illegal immigration by augmenting the number of Border Patrol agents.
A campaign advertisement released in July indicated that Harris endorses an increase in Border Patrol personnel, advocates for advanced technology to prevent drug trafficking, and criticized former President Donald Trump for his lack of support for a failed Senate border agreement. Another advertisement portrayed her as a stringent prosecutor from a border state and reiterated her commitment to hiring “thousands more” border agents.
During the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, the former California senator was among those who raised their hands in support of decriminalizing illegal border crossings. Additionally, she previously likened Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to members of the Ku Klux Klan during a confirmation hearing and formally opposed then-President Trump’s initiatives to secure additional funding for Border Patrol agents.
NumbersUSA, an organization advocating for stricter border policies, assigned Harris an F- grade for her Senate tenure, citing her support for legislation that they argue would encourage illegal immigration and undermine border security. According to career enforcement professionals, closing migrant detention centers could exacerbate the border crisis. Border Patrol agents have testified that the closure of these facilities encourages illegal immigration, as the absence of detention space allows individuals to enter the country without immediate consequence.
