House Republicans demand Biden remove Harris as immigration czar as she still hasn’t visited border

A group of House Republicans have demanded that President Joe Biden remove Vice President Kamala Harris from her role as immigration crisis czar because she still hasn’t visited the border or met with border patrol agents since taking the job 85 days ago.

The 56 lawmakers, led by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., penned a letter on Thursday with a scathing review of Harris’ performance after she was tapped on March 24 to lead the administration’s response to the immigration crisis at the southern border.

‘Despite being in the midst of a border crisis this country has not seen in two decades, Vice President Harris has not yet shown adequate interest in observing this crisis first-hand,’ the lawmakers wrote. 

‘In the 85 days since the Vice President has been tasked with solving this crisis, she has yet to visit the border and meet with Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and local law enforcement officials.’

House Republicans have demanded that President Joe Biden remove Vice President Kamala Harris from her role as immigration crisis czar

The 56 lawmakers, led by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., penned a letter on Thursday with the scathing review of Harris' performance

The 56 lawmakers, led by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., penned a letter on Thursday with the scathing review of Harris’ performance

As noted by Fox News, Harris recently visited Guatemala and Mexico where she met with leaders but has still not visited the U.S. border. 

Republicans claim it is important for her to actually go to the border for her to truly understand problems with illegal immigration.

The GOP has blamed the Biden administration’s rolling back of Trump era policies for recent surges of illegal immigrants at the southern border.

The 56 Republicans claimed that ‘the exclusive focus on Central American countries ignores the fact that we see many migrants attempting to illegally cross our southern border from countries all over the world, including Russia, Brazil, Cuba and Haiti.’

‘We are also aware of no dramatic changes in Central American countries over the last few months that would result in such a wide gap of encounters at the southern border compared to last year,’ the Republicans wrote. 

The 56 lawmakers, led by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., penned a letter on Thursday with the scathing review of Harris' performance

The 56 lawmakers, led by Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., penned a letter on Thursday with the scathing review of Harris’ performance

The Republicans also encouraged Biden to appoint someone else to lead the administration’s response to handling the border crisis.

‘This country cannot afford another minute of inaction from Vice President Harris,’ the lawmakers wrote.

‘While you have publicly defended the Vice President, even you must be discouraged with her inaction.’

Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis and said: ‘We have a strategy.’ 

‘We are executing that strategy, I am confident in the strategy and I am confident in the proposal we have submitted to this Congress to best resource that strategy,’ Mayorkas said.

Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers

Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers

Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers

Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers

Agents of the Attorney General's Office escort more than a migrants who were kidnapped, from a house in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico on June 9

Agents of the Attorney General’s Office escort more than a migrants who were kidnapped, from a house in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico on June 9

Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers

Border Patrol and local police raid five homes in Texas where more than 200 migrants were hidden by smugglers

Agents of the Attorney General's Office escort more than a migrants who were kidnapped, from a house in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on June 9

Agents of the Attorney General’s Office escort more than a migrants who were kidnapped, from a house in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on June 9

A migrant family from Brazil waits to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after passing through a gap in the border wall from Mexico in Yuma, Arizona on June 10

A migrant family from Brazil waits to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after passing through a gap in the border wall from Mexico in Yuma, Arizona on June 10

South Carolina Republican Rep. Ralph Norman tore into Mayorkas on Thursday when he said it was ‘quite unfair’ to criticize Kamala Harris for not visiting the border.

Norman started the House Homeland Security Committee hearing by asking Mayorkas whether Harris should visit the border.

‘I consider that question to be quite unfair,’ Mayorkas replied.

‘You’re comments are just words, and they’re very unfair,’ Norman said. ‘I asked you a simple question, and I would like for you to just answer simply. 

‘Does it make sense for the leaders of the free world to go in to talk and see what’s going on at the border?

South Carolina Republican Rep. Ralph Norman tore into Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday when he suggested it was 'quite unfair' to criticize Kamala Harris for not visiting the border

Norman started the House Homeland Security Committee hearing by asking Mayorkas whether Harris should visit the border. 'I consider that question to be quite unfair,' Mayorkas replied

South Carolina Republican Rep. Ralph Norman tore into Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday when he suggested it was ‘quite unfair’ to criticize Kamala Harris for not visiting the border

Mayorkas responded by saying that Harris was the attorney general of a border state, California, and was ‘quite familiar with the situation’.

‘But she’s laughing at it!’ Norman fired back. ‘It’s an insult to say that you’re looking at the border wall … what do you have to look at? You’re not building it’. 

Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz also criticized the Biden administration’s response to the border crisis on Friday, saying they are ‘quite simply’ not doing their jobs and are failing to enforce the law.

As they conducted their hearing, more migrants continued crossing the Rio Grande near Roma, Texas, to begin their bid for asylum.

Photos showed men, women and children in rafts and wading in the water in the dead of night, trying to reach the US.  

This graph shows the number of migrants caught by the Office of Field Operation (OFO) and US Border Patrol agents in April and May

This graph shows the number of migrants caught by the Office of Field Operation (OFO) and US Border Patrol agents in April and May 

This chart shows how 2021 border crossings - pictured in blue - rocketed on crossings made in 2020, represented by the brown line (2018 is pictured in gray, with 2019 in orange)

This chart shows how 2021 border crossings – pictured in blue – rocketed on crossings made in 2020, represented by the brown line (2018 is pictured in gray, with 2019 in orange)

The tense exchange Norman and Mayorkas also came off the back of criticism over Kamala’s visit to Guatemala and Mexico and her testy responses to questions over whether she would visit the wall – that the Biden administration has vowed not to continue building.

In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, she laughed when he asked why she hadn’t visited the border.

‘And I haven’t been to Europe either,’ she responded. 

Last Wednesday, Customs and Border Protection released figures that show illegal crossings have exploded by 674 per cent in a year.

Border guards confronted 180,034 migrants in May – the fourth consecutive monthly rise.

The figures show the number of migrants rocketed by more than six-fold from the 23,237 who crossed from Mexico into the United States in May 2020.

Last year’s number was far lower than usual because of the COVID-19 outbreak, but this year’s figures still spell worrying news for Joe Biden, with 2021 on-track to record the highest number of illegal border crossings since 2006.

Single adults still represented the majority of border-crossers, data from the U.S. Border Patrol showed. 

In May there was a decrease in the number of unaccompanied minors, from roughly 16,910 to 13,906, Border Patrol found.   

CBP also said that a majority of those who crossed the border were already expelled due to Title 42, which allows the U.S. government to quickly remove people using the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Of the 180,034 crossers, 112,302 had already been expelled. 

CBP also pointed out, according to Fox News, that Title 42 is leading people to try to cross the border more than once, which could also factor into the high numbers. 

Axios reported last week that preliminary CBP data from the fiscal year 2021 showed that illegal crossings have been the most since 2006 – with four months still to go. 

Harris’ trip was meant to focus on the ‘root causes’ of migration that have led to families and unaccompanied children heading north to the border.

But she made a series of seemingly conflicting statements about her decision not to visit the border and enraged progressives by telling migrants: ‘Do not come’.

By the end of her trip, at a press conference in Mexico City with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Harris insisted the trip was a success.

‘Listen, I’ve been to the border before and I’ll go again,’ she said.

The Biden administration announced Harris would be the 'border czar' 86 days ago, but she still hasn't been to the wall and has been under scrutiny for her visit to Mexico and Guatemala two weeks ago to address the 'root causes' of migration. On Friday she visited a vaccination site in Atlanta as part of her tour to get more shots in arms for Americans

The Biden administration announced Harris would be the ‘border czar’ 86 days ago, but she still hasn’t been to the wall and has been under scrutiny for her visit to Mexico and Guatemala two weeks ago to address the ‘root causes’ of migration. On Friday she visited a vaccination site in Atlanta as part of her tour to get more shots in arms for Americans 

Harris greets Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after touching down at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport on Friday

Harris greets Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after touching down at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport on Friday 

She also hinted that a border trip would be ‘short-sighted’, but did promise to visit without giving a date.

CNN reported that officials were concerned within the administration that whatever progress Harris had made on the leader-to-leader level might have been undermined by her conflicting answers and PR missteps.

‘It’s left some of the administration officials perplexed, and the vice president’s team frustrated,’ the network Wednesday.

‘There was hope the trip would be a success, and in the end, they feel it may have been overshadowed by some of her answers to these questions,’ the network reported.

She also snapped at reporters a few times when questioned about a border visit. Among those asking about it was a CNN correspondent. Fox News correspondents have been hounding the White House on the topic for weeks, so it was unlikely to have surprised her team.

Asylum-seeking migrant families disembark an inflatable raft after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10

Asylum-seeking migrant families disembark an inflatable raft after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10

Asylum-seeking migrant families from Nicaragua pray as they arrive to the riverbank of the Rio Grande river after crossing into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10

Asylum-seeking migrant families from Nicaragua pray as they arrive to the riverbank of the Rio Grande river after crossing into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10

Asylum-seeking migrant families disembark an inflatable raft after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10

Asylum-seeking migrant families disembark an inflatable raft after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico in Roma, Texas on June 10

Migrant smugglers stand in the water of the Rio Grande river as they mock the officers on duty on the U.S. side of the river in Roma, Texas, on June 10

Migrant smugglers stand in the water of the Rio Grande river as they mock the officers on duty on the U.S. side of the river in Roma, Texas, on June 10

At the same news conference where she said she would go to the border, Harris also shrugged off the idea.

I think it’s short-sighted, for any of us who are in the business of problem solving to suggest we’re only going to respond to the reaction as opposed to addressing the cause,’ she said.

It echoed her earlier comments in Guatemala, where she characterized such a visit as being for show.

‘I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,’ she said.

‘And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.’

There is an element of showmanship in any foreign trip – and Harris was not shy about calling her own first foreign foray a victory.

‘Do I declare this trip a success? Yes I do,’ she said.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk