06:23 (IST), July 28
Latino leaders set aside rocky history with Kamala Harris on immigration
Immigration has been perhaps the thorniest issue on the campaign trail for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans have falsely portrayed Harris as President Joe Biden’s failed “border secretary” and run ads linking her to Biden administration policies that they say contributed to the chaos at the border.
But there has also been condemnation from liberal and progressive Democrats, who, along with immigrant rights groups, have accused Harris of being part of an administration that made concessions on the issue to former President Donald Trump and his allies.
One of the most striking moments of Harris’ tenure was when she drew swift criticism from Latino elected officials and immigrant rights leaders for warning against rising numbers of migrants in the summer of 2021. During a press conference in Guatemala during a diplomatic visit, she told them, “Don’t come.”
California Rep. Robert Rivas helped the Latino Caucus draft a stern statement opposing those remarks, urging Harris and the administration not to prevent asylum seekers from “doing what they need to do to survive.”
But three years later, Rivas, now the speaker of the California Assembly, endorsed Harris last Sunday, minutes after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. He’s one of many leaders who have been quick to put aside their spat with the White House to say Harris is far preferable to Trump.
“Trump has been a complete disaster for our country and the two candidates cannot be compared,” Rivas said, pointing to Trump’s punitive record against immigrants from Latin America and majority-Muslim countries.
Many Latino voters, like most U.S. voters, trust Trump more than Biden or Democrats on the southern border, according to surveys and focus groups. And with record numbers of migrants apprehended last year and Republicans continuing to cast immigrants as invaders, criminals and potential terrorists, more are in favor of tougher immigration enforcement measures.
