Vice President Kamala Harris has released her first major policy position of the 2024 presidential race, doubling down on a highly controversial "earned pathway to citizenship" for illegal immigrants—a move that’s sparking backlash among voters and raising questions about her political strategy.
In a significant move, Vice President Kamala Harris has, for the first time in her presidential candidacy, unveiled her policy positions on her campaign website. Surprisingly, the first major issue addressed is highly contentious: her continued support for an "earned pathway to citizenship" for illegal immigrants, a stance that has drawn sharp criticism from voters across the political spectrum.
Despite the backlash, Harris is doubling down, framing her position as part of a broader effort to secure the border and reform what she calls a "broken" immigration system. "Vice President Harris and Governor Walz believe in tough, smart solutions to secure the border, keep communities safe, and reform our broken immigration system," reads the newly published "issues" section of her website.
The timing of the release is noteworthy as Harris faces increased scrutiny regarding her past positions from the 2020 presidential primary and how much they diverge from those of the Biden administration. During that campaign, Harris advocated for decriminalizing illegal border crossings, shutting down immigration detention centers on day one, and restarting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) "from scratch." These proposals earned her a reputation for radicalism, which some voters still associate with her candidacy.
Now, with a historic border crisis in the background, the administration’s focus has shifted. A bipartisan Senate bill aimed at border security—without the controversial amnesty provisions—has gained traction. Harris, as part of her campaign messaging, emphasizes her support for this bill and her tough-on-crime record as California’s attorney general, where she prosecuted international drug gangs and cartels.
“As Vice President, she supported the bipartisan border security bill, the strongest reform in decades,” the page declares. The bill, which proposed deploying advanced detection technology and adding 1,500 border security agents, has been touted as a vital step to stem the flow of drugs like fentanyl into the U.S.
However, the controversial element remains: Harris’s advocacy for a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. "As President, she will bring back the bipartisan border security bill and sign it into law," the page promises. Yet, this is immediately followed by a call for comprehensive immigration reform that includes amnesty—a policy position that remains unpopular, even as Harris attempts to balance it with a tough-on-border-security message.
In June, Harris reiterated this commitment, calling for Congress to act on both border security and a pathway to citizenship, signaling her intention to push forward on this divisive issue. Last month, during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, she once again emphasized this stance, despite growing concerns that it may further alienate moderate and swing voters.
Harris’ campaign has acknowledged that her views on some issues have evolved since 2020. "Her positions have been shaped by three years of effective governance as part of the Biden-Harris administration," an adviser told Fox News, signaling a potential recalibration on her immigration stance while maintaining a core commitment to the pathway for citizenship.
As Harris’s campaign moves forward, her controversial stance could have significant political consequences, particularly for Democrat incumbents in close races who will be pressured to either embrace or distance themselves from her immigration policy.
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