WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� As thousands of immigrants approached the U.S. border in early 2021, President Joe Biden tapped his second-in-command to address the influx. The decision has exposed Vice President to one of her biggest political liabilities.
贬补谤谤颈蝉鈥� was to tackle the 鈥渞oot causes鈥� of migration from three Central American nations 鈥� El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras 鈥� that were responsible for a significant share of border rossers. The vice president took a long-term approach to an immediate problem, helping convince multinational corporations and Latin American businesses to invest in the region. That, she argued, would create jobs and give locals more reasons to stay at home rather than take the arduous trek north.
Migration from those three Central American countries did gradually drop, though experts say it鈥檚 unlikely that 贬补谤谤颈蝉鈥� plan was a major factor. The decrease was swamped by a surge in migration from elsewhere in Latin America, and Republicans now blame Harris for all the myriad problems that plagued the U.S. southern border during the administration鈥檚 term.
Here are some things to know about 贬补谤谤颈蝉鈥� record on migration as vice president.
She was never the "border czar"
The GOP and even some media outlets called Harris the 鈥渂order czar鈥� after she got her assignment from Biden, but that was never her actual job. She had no special responsibilities at the border. Those involved in the hottest issue there 鈥� negotiations over whether to continue former President Donald Trump鈥檚 pandemic immigration policy known as Title 42 鈥� say the vice president was not involved in that debate.
Biden tasked Harris with working with the Central American nations 鈥渢o accept returnees and enhance migration enforcement at their borders.鈥� Some critics contend she dodged that assignment and mainly focused on long-term investments.
Harris took two trips to Mexico and Central America in 2021 and 2022, including a visit to Guatemala in June 2021 where she told would-be migrants 鈥� 鈥� to the U.S. During that trip she also she had not been to the U.S.-Mexico border during an interview with NBC鈥檚 Lester Holt by saying she hadn't 鈥渂een to Europe. And I mean, I don鈥檛 鈥� understand the point that you鈥檙e making.鈥�
That line became part of Trump鈥檚 first ad against Harris, which blames her for hundreds of thousands of deaths from fentanyl and crimes committed by people who entered the country illegally.
Harris has defended her record. Her campaign began running a television ad on Friday that said Harris would 鈥渉ire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking鈥� as president. Democrats have also blasted Trump for helping tank a bipartisan immigration bill earlier this year that would have increased funding for border security, including new Customs and Border Protection personnel.
Harris focused on business investments
The vice president鈥檚 most prominent achievement was tapping into a network of business and nonprofit executives to invest in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which are known as the Northern Triangle nations.
The work linked multinational companies 鈥� like Visa, Nestle and Meta 鈥� with smaller nonprofits and Latin American businesses, all of which pledged to increase their investments or bolster their work with at-risk communities.
The Associated Press contacted all of the as participants in 贬补谤谤颈蝉鈥� effort. Some, like AgroAmerica, a sustainable food corporation that pledged to invest more than $100 million in six new projects, reported their work had begun and they were on track to meet their investment goals. Others, including Columbia Sportswear Company, said they would likely surpass their goals.
Most companies, however, either declined to comment or did not respond when asked about the work they have done to meet their pledges.
The vice president鈥檚 office has said that Harris' outreach has generated more than $5.2 billion in investment promises. In an illustration of how long it takes the promises to translate into concrete spending, the State Department reported that companies have plowed as of June 2024, the bulk of it in Guatemala and Honduras.
Katie Tobin, who worked as the top migration adviser at the National Security Council for three years, credited 贬补谤谤颈蝉鈥� focus with spurring investment in reducing these numbers, arguing that Harris 鈥渨as able to leverage her credibility鈥� and the power of the White House to convince companies to invest in 鈥渁 risky investment environment.鈥�
鈥淭hat was very much Kamala Harris,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 have never seen something like that done before in this space, and it made a real impact.鈥�
Republican Sen. Rick Scott, a critic of the administration on Latin American issues, questioned whether the White House should really be credited for business investments. He argued they would have happened without Harris.
The companies are 鈥渘ot doing it because someone asked them to,鈥� said Scott, who co-founded a major medical company, 鈥渢hey鈥檙e doing it because it makes economic sense.鈥�
Did it work?
While the Harris campaign and White House have pointed to statistics that show migration from Northern Triangle countries has dropped substantially since early 2021, there is debate over what is behind the decrease.
Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, said Harris and the administration deserve credit for the reduction because their efforts 鈥渨orked,鈥� adding that 贬补谤谤颈蝉鈥� contribution has been overlooked.
Independent analysts, however, said they were skeptical that 贬补谤谤颈蝉鈥� approach played much of a role. They said the decrease was likely driven by other regional factors, including the ascension of El Salvador鈥檚 new president and his aggressive drive to combat violent crime. His government reported a 70% drop in homicides in 2023.
Julia Gelatt, associate director of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, said investment can take years to alter migration patterns 鈥� if it ever does.
鈥淓ven a whole lot of economic development doesn鈥檛 curb immigration in the way countries hope it will,鈥� Gelatt said.
Nicholas Riccardi, Chris Megerian And Dan Merica, The Associated Press
