(NEXSTAR) – Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and 2024 presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, are increasingly calling Vice President Kamala Harris a failed “border czar.” There is. But what does the term actually mean?
The label has been used by both candidates to criticize Harris' handling of the U.S.-Mexico border crisis. During Tuesday night's vice presidential debate, Vance suggested that Harris would be named “border czar” under the Biden administration.
“When she became vice president, when she was appointed 'border czar,' the only thing she did was undo 94 of President Donald Trump's executive actions that opened the border. ” Vance argued, echoing his and rival Minnesota. Gov. Tim Walz has had a heated debate on immigration.
“I've been to the southern border more times than our nation's 'border czar,' Kamala Harris,” Vance said.
Although the phrase “border emperor” is not an official title, it still carries connotations of authority. In politics, “tsar” usually refers to a government official tasked with managing major issues, the newspaper said. cambridge dictionary.
In Harris' case, the label stems from President Joe Biden's March 2021 decision to assign her the task of addressing the “root causes” of immigration from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. She was also tasked with encouraging the leaders of those countries, as well as Mexico, to enforce immigration laws.
But Harris was never asked to be a “border czar” or specifically given responsibility for border security. Harris also had no authority to set U.S. immigration policy. Only the president can sign executive orders, and Harris was not authorized to represent Biden in immigration negotiations with Congress.
Last week, September 27, Harris visited the US-Mexico border for the first time since becoming the Democratic presidential candidate. She called for further tightening of asylum restrictions and spoke of prosecuting drug smuggling organizations operating at the border.
President Trump slammed her visit, claiming she went only for “political reasons.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
