Vice President Harris triggered blowback on the left this week for saying “do not come” to Latin American people thinking about migrating to the United States. Critics say that Harris was discouraging lawful migration.
The California Latino Legislative Caucus released a statement saying, “seeking asylum in the United States is not only legal but a matter of life and death for many.” The leader of the caucus also stated, “In keeping with past precedent we should not discourage asylum seekers from seeking a better life. They are doing what they need to do to survive. As such, we urge the Biden-Harris administration and Congress to follow the moral and legal imperative to create a process to allow all asylum seekers to come to this country as a part of a larger, long-overdue comprehensive reform of our immigration system.”
The Latino caucus has become a political force in California as the state’s Latino electorate has increased in recent years. The state Legislature includes multiple lawmakers who are the children of migrants or migrated to the U.S. earlier in life.
The responses to Harris’ first trip abroad as vice president have shown the political intractability of the migration issue. Democrats and allies have accused Harris of taking an overly harsh stance and Republicans have criticized Harris for downplaying the importance of visiting the southern border, which she has not yet done since entering the White House.
During an interview Harris stated, “There is not going to be a quick fix. We have to understand that there’s a reason people are arriving at our border and ask what is that reason and then identify the problem so we can fix it.”
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