The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has launched a probe into Vice President Kamala Harris's work on immigration at the U.S. border.
According to The Hill, Committee Chair James Comer has requested documents and correspondence from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding Harris’s efforts.
On Tuesday, the committee initiated its scrutiny under the leadership of James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky. Comer directed CBP to supply any relevant records involving communication with the Vice President's office.
President Joe Biden has tasked Vice President Harris with implementing a strategy to address the fundamental causes of migration from Latin America. This approach primarily focuses on developing and fostering democracy within the region to reduce the flow of migrants to the United States.
Despite CBP's limited role in these broader goals, Comer’s request specifically targets the agency. Harris's strategy involves several other key departments, including the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Critics have questioned the relevance of involving CBP in this probe, as its primary responsibility is managing daily border operations. Notably, the CBP website currently omits any reference to Harris’s root causes strategy.
Comer’s letter expressed doubts about Harris's actions to mitigate the border crisis. As noted by Comer, Harris has centered her efforts on addressing the underlying factors that drive migration.
Harris’s initiative includes a plan to inject $4 billion into the region over four years. Her recent travels to countries like Mexico, Guatemala in 2021, and Honduras in 2022 are highlighted as evidence of her focus on Central America rather than the U.S. southern border.
In addition to these travels, the probe follows a report by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, another Republican, who reviewed the handling of migrants on the terror watch list. This further fuels the partisan debate on border management.
Republicans criticize the current administration for what they see as failed border policies. Conversely, Democrats believe that Republicans have hindered progress by rejecting a bipartisan immigration solution.
In June, President Biden's updated policy restricted asylum claims and border movement, significantly reducing the number of crossings. DHS reported 83,536 encounters between ports of entry in June, the lowest level since January 2021 and below the pre-pandemic June 2019 amounts.
Despite these numbers, questions remain regarding Vice President Harris’s tangible achievements at the border. Comer’s office has yet to clarify why CBP was chosen for this inquiry over other agencies directly involved with Harris’s portfolio.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has initiated an investigation into Vice President Harris's border strategies, requesting documents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Led by Chair James Comer, the inquiry aims to leverage immigration issues politically. Harris's efforts focus on the root causes of migration in Latin America, involving agencies like the State Department and USAID. Despite CBP's minor role, Comer questions Harris's effectiveness on the border crisis. Democrats argue that GOP criticisms ignore bipartisan efforts and point to recent policies that have decreased border crossings.
