Photo credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
It's election time, and immigration seems to be the hot topic. Here's a quick primer for Kamala on immigration.
Generally speaking
In office, the Biden/Harris administration sought to expand and incentivize legal immigration, and ultimately increased border security.
As VP, Harris did not oversee policy at the border. Instead, she was tasked with a diplomatic assignment to:
reduce the incentives migrants have to leave Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, by:
enhancing lawful pathways for migration to the U.S.
improving infrastructure, supporting business, and bolstering civil society in those countries
She traveled to these countries and secured $9 billion in aid to address the root causes of migration.
Kamala Immigration promises:
Harris has vowed to sign into law the bipartisan proposal killed by Trump & other Republicans in 2024. The bill would, among other things:
authorize hiring thousands more border patrol agents and asylum officers,
allow the president to close the border if border crossings reach a certain threshold, and
raise the standard for being able to claim asylum
She would likely continue to support US government efforts to increase public and private investments in Central America, to address the root causes of migration
She would likely continue the government’s work to create and expand legal avenues for immigration, such as refugee resettlement, work visas and parole
She has indicated she would maintain the recent Biden policy of closing the border during high entry periods and requiring asylum applicants to "volunteer" their need for asylum or be deported
She would likely pursue enhanced migration management cooperation with other countries in the hemisphere, through the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection
She says that the border needs to be enforced, that she would make asylum harder, but not as difficult as Trump
She supports DACA and DACA-like protections for other groups, including undocumented immigrants whose children are citizens or legal permanent residents
She does not support travel bans
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