Kamala Harris makes first border visit as Democratic Nominee as White House race heats up

Harris visits the US-Mexico border with US Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin (R) in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27.

Vice President Kamala Harris made her first visit to the US-Mexico border since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, confronting a key vulnerability in her campaign ahead of the November election. On Friday, Harris arrived in Douglas, Arizona, a small border town, where she met with US Border Patrol agents and walked along the rust-colored border wall in the desert heat, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees.

Harris is expected to propose stricter asylum regulations, marking a shift from President Joe Biden's immigration policies. This move is seen as an effort to counter attacks from former President Donald Trump and Republicans, who have criticised the administration’s handling of migration. Trump has frequently attacked Harris for her limited presence at the border.

A campaign official revealed that Harris plans to announce measures to tighten asylum claims and extend border restrictions implemented earlier this year by the Biden administration. These proposals are part of Harris’s broader strategy to enhance border security, a top issue in Arizona, the only battleground state along the US-Mexico border. Arizona has faced record numbers of asylum seekers, making immigration a pivotal topic in the state.

During her visit, Harris met with local officials, including Douglas Mayor Donald Huish, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, Senator Mark Kelly, and Attorney General Kris Mayes. In her upcoming speech, she is expected to stress the importance of a president who prioritises border security over political gamesmanship, according to excerpts shared by her campaign.

Harris has repeatedly pointed to the collapse of bipartisan immigration reform earlier this year, accusing Trump of sabotaging the efforts for political gain. Following the bill's failure, the Biden administration introduced rules limiting asylum when the border is overwhelmed, which has contributed to a reduction in illegal border crossings.

The vice president is also expected to highlight her experience as California’s attorney general, where she prosecuted transnational criminal gangs involved in drug and human smuggling. At a recent rally in Arizona, Harris touted her record of cracking down on such operations.

Florida Representative Maxwell Frost, a prominent advocate for Harris among young and Hispanic voters, noted that Harris’s stance reflects her understanding of the current humanitarian crisis at the border. Frost emphasized that Harris is advocating for more resources to manage immigration in an orderly manner, distinguishing her approach from Trump’s focus on enforcement alone.

Harris’s visit to Douglas, a Democratic-leaning town in Republican-dominated Cochise County, underscores the importance of immigration in the lead-up to Election Day. Trump recently visited the area to highlight his stance on border security, further intensifying the political spotlight on the issue.

Douglas, with a population of 16,000, maintains strong ties with its Mexican neighbor, Agua Prieta, and has a busy port of entry slated for upgrades. While concerns over illegal immigration persist, many locals are equally focused on improving the efficiency of legal border crossings.

Harris’s visit is seen as a direct response to Trump’s intensifying attacks on her immigration record. Trump has been rallying support by calling for mass deportations and using inflammatory rhetoric about migrants, which Harris aims to counter with her proposals for stricter enforcement and a balanced approach to border management.

Hours before Harris's visit, new data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revealed that over 425,000 non-citizens convicted of crimes are currently living in the U.S., a statistic Trump seized upon to further criticize the Biden administration’s immigration policies. However, experts clarified that many of these individuals had been in the country for years and had served time for their offenses, with deportation hindered by diplomatic issues with their home countries.

While Harris has made gains in polls on immigration, illegal border crossings remain a weak point for her campaign. Nevertheless, she points to a sharp decline in crossings since the Biden administration's executive order temporarily closed the border to asylum seekers.

Republicans have focused on Harris's early role in the administration, falsely labeling her the "border czar" and implying she was solely responsible for the country’s border policies. Trump, meanwhile, continues to double down on his divisive rhetoric targeting migrants, seeking to appeal to his core supporters.

As Election Day approaches, Harris’ visit to the border highlights her efforts to neutralize one of Trump’s primary attack lines and assert her leadership on immigration reform.