Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris faced renewed scrutiny after old footage resurfaced Monday in which she promised to close facilities that hold illegal immigrants.
The video was released in 2019, when Harris was running for the 2020 Democratic nomination, but it went viral after she campaigned on the idea of securing the border if she became president.
Footage showed an attendee at the event asking Harris, “If you were president, would you close immigrant detention centers?”
“Of course, from day one,” Harris replied. “From day one.”
Speaker at Kamala Harris rally in Arizona calls out ‘John McCain Republicans’ as man brings VP’s border map
U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Democratic presidential candidate (and future Vice President of the United States), speaks at the National Forum on Wages and Workers: Creating an Economy that Works for All at The Enclave in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 27, 2019. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Since becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris has abandoned her previous positions on immigration and taken a tougher stance.
“I was attorney general of a border state. I went after international criminal organizations, drug cartels and human traffickers,” Harris told a crowd at a recent rally. “I prosecuted case after case against them and won, so I know what I’m talking about.”
“We know our immigration system is broken and we know what it takes to fix it: comprehensive reform, including stronger border security and a path to citizenship,” she added.
Republicans have slammed Harris, saying her record on immigration is one of insecurity and open borders.
“Kamala Harris opened the border intentionally. She said she wanted to, campaigned to do so, and governed to do so ‘from day one,'” wrote Sen. J.D. Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) warned, “When she tells you who she is, believe her.”
“I can’t wait for someone on Kamala’s campaign staff to say she no longer feels that way,” wrote conservative digital strategist Greg Price.
Migrants from Latin America join a caravan heading towards the US border in Huehuetan, Chiapas, Mexico, on June 7, 2022. – (Photo: Isaac Guzman/AFP) (Photo: Isaac Guzman/AFP via Getty Images) (Isaac Guzman/AFP via Getty Images)
22 days: Kamala Harris hasn’t held a press conference since emerging as the presumptive Democratic nominee
“Kamala Harris doesn’t just want to decriminalize illegal border crossings, she wants to free all illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. Kamala’s open border policies will lead to more American deaths like Laken Riley,” Donald Trump Jr. said.
“Harris’ platform is no borders, no nation states, no deportations,” wrote Stephen Miller, a former senior White House adviser to Trump.
“Did she admit this out loud?” asked tech entrepreneur Michael Seifert.
Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas argued that the incident says a lot about progressives.
“The left isn’t just about crime and open borders, they’re also moving towards abolishing borders,” he wrote. “They want everyone to be able to enter the country freely and enjoy massive government programs funded by taxpayers and debt (which destroys the dollar).”
According to data from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), as of July 2024, more than 37,000 migrants were being held in 18 private detention facilities, including just over 10,000 with criminal histories and about 4,600 with active criminal charges.
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Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
