Harris’ Immigration Grade: 1% (F-minus); lower than Biden’s

NumbersUSA issues a grade for every member of Congress based on their support for lowering immigration numbers to sustainable levels that serve the national interest. During his time in Congress, Joe Biden earned a “D” grade. Kamala Harris was much worse, earning an “F-minus” and a total of 1% (that’s one out of a possible one hundred). 

Harris earned an F-minus (1%) from NumbersUSA during her time in Congress for supporting amnesties, immigration expansion, and enforcement loopholes. Biden earned a 27%.

It would be extremely difficult to find a member of Congress with a worse record than Harris. From 2017 – 2020, Harris supported:

• nine different amnesties
• doubling guest worker visas for blue collar jobs
• unlimited visas for foreign workers with masters degrees or higher in STEM from U.S. institutions
• mandating the release of inadmissible aliens if they brought a child with them
• legislation to nullify the 50,000 cap on refugee admissions

In short, Harris consistently supported efforts to 1) reward illegal immigration, 2) weaken enforcement, and 3) increase overall immigration and employers’ ability to bypass American workers . . . and a reliable opponent of Barbara Jordan’s vision of immigration reform.

Abolishing ICE, essentially

Before announcing her candidacy for U.S. President, Sen. Kamala Harris told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes that she didn’t believe in abolishing ICE, but she would prohibit ICE from deporting anyone who had not also committed a “serious or violent crime”:

“I believe that there needs to be serious, severe and swift consequence when people commit serious and violent crimes: one human being kills another human being, a woman is raped, a child is molested – there needs to be a serious consequence. And certainly if they are undocumented they should be deported if they commit those serious and violent offenses. So yes, ICE has a purpose, ICE has a role, ICE should exist. But let’s not abuse the power. Let’s not extend it to areas that are not posing a threat to the safety and the public safety of these communities….”

The legacy media completely failed to follow up on her position. How would the federal government enforce immigration limits if ICE were prevented from deporting people who are “only” in the country illegally?

The answer was apparent within the first few months of the Biden-Harris administration, when ICE officials told The Washington Post that their work had been “essentially abolished,” even as illegal border crossings soared to a 20-year high.

“Border Czar”? Or “Root Causes”?

Although the legacy media now denies it, the press reported Kamala Harris had been appointed “Border Czar” in early 2021. 

President Biden selected Harris to lead his strategy to address the “root causes” of illegal immigration, and said: “she’s the most qualified person to do it, to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle, and the countries that can help, need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border.”

Harris’ staff immediately sought to clarify that Harris was not in charge of the border; that her task was to improve conditions in Mexico and Northern Triangle countries. In fairness to her, it does appear that President Biden’s comments about “stemming the migration to our southern border” were never part of the plan.

An administration official described the “root causes” approach as “seeking to change the ways in which people migrate,” not to prevent illegal immigration. Part of the Biden-Harris strategy was to assist inadmissible aliens in seeking new “legal pathways” created by the administration.

The stated goal of VP Harris’ effort was: “A democratic, prosperous, and safe Central America, where people advance economically, live, work, and learn in safety and dignity, contribute to and benefit from the democratic process, have confidence in public institutions, and enjoy opportunities to create futures for themselves and their families at home.”

Harris’ “Root Causes” strategy was doomed to fail to stem illegal immigration because it was never designed for that purpose.

NumbersUSA has long said that the best way to help the majority of people around the world is to help them where they are. The best way to reduce illegal immigration is to:

• enforce the law,
• close loopholes to the current law (ie. asylum and refugee reform), and
• implement new laws that reduce incentives for migration to the United States (ie. mandatory E-Verify)

Related:

VP pick Tim Walz earned a career “D” immigration grade.

J.D. Vance gets an “A” from NumbersUSA; echoes Barbara Jordan in convention speech

From the archives:

• Second Night of Dem 2020 Debates: Immigration Summary, June 28, 2019
• VP Candidate Kamala Harris — Pleases Wall St. & Silicon Valley, which means Bad News for American Workers, August 12, 2020.
• VP Assures Border is ‘Secure’ – Sen. Manchin Disagrees, September 15, 2022