If elected, Vice President Kamala Harris said she would push Congress to pass the border security bill Republicans and Democrats drafted earlier this year. That failed deal has become the centerpiece of Harris’ campaign promises on immigration and provides a window into Harris’ likely approach to immigration as President.
The bipartisan bill would have added thousands of Border Patrol and other immigration personnel, sped up immigration decisions, and made it harder to claim asylum in the U.S. The bill was supported by the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents border agents. But the effort died when Donald Trump publicly pressured Republicans to back out of the deal, calling it a “death wish” for the GOP.
During Biden’s first three years in office, the Border Patrol apprehended about 2 million people per year on average trying to enter the U.S. between border crossings. Illegal crossings on the U.S. border fell this summer after the Biden Administration added caps on asylum during periods of elevated illegal border crossings.
Voters consistently ranked immigration as one of their top issues in the 2024 election. For months, polling showed the issue was a weak spot for Harris. Trump has labeled Harris as the “border czar,” trying to blame her for the country’s immigration challenges and overstating her diplomatic task as Vice President to reduce the root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Since becoming the party’s nominee, Harris has tacked to the center on border security. At campaign e
