Harris to Speak in Border State, Discuss Immigration

Facts

• US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is traveling to Arizona on Friday to visit the US-Mexico border where she will be delivering a speech on immigration in Douglas, Arizona.^[1]
• Harris is expected to pledge several immigration policies, including retaining Pres. Joe Biden's asylum restrictions — first implemented in June — as well as give more resources to Border Patrol and tackle the issue of fentanyl smuggling.^[2]
• Her visit to the border, her first since visiting El Paso, Texas, in 2021, comes as Republicans have accused her of not visiting the border and the Biden administration of not combatting illegal immigration.^[3]
• Ahead of the speech on Friday, Harris defended her record by citing her time as the lead prosecutor in California. She wrote: 'As Attorney General of a border state, I prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for trafficking guns, drugs, and human beings.'^[4]
• In preparation for her Arizona visit, her Republican opponent Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that 'anything she says tomorrow, you know is a fraud because she was the worst in history at protecting our country.'^[1]
• This comes amid new national polling on the issue, including a Redfield and Wilton Strategies poll putting Trump ahead 47%-36%. Gallup polls also show that 55% of voters, and 30% of Democratic voters, want more immigration restrictions.^[5]

Sources: ^[1]PBS NewsHour, ^[2]CBS, ^[3]FOX News, ^[4]X and ^[5]Newsweek.

Narratives

• Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall and New York Post. The American people, especially Arizonans, know Harris' immigration philosophy is terrible for the country. They also know she and Biden have let millions of illegal migrants into the country to eventually give them legal status and then citizenship, which means the ability to vote and thus reshape the American electorate to benefit Democrats. The White House is already conducting record-fast citizenship approvals, something Harris will only expedite further if she wins.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by New York Times. Harris isn't the first Democrat to deal with immigration criticism, but she is particularly effective on this topic. Harris is offering a smart and widely popular balance between effectively protecting the border from drug smugglers and expanding opportunities for immigrants seeking a good life in the US. Trump has used his influence to stall recent bipartisan immigration bills — Harris is looking for concrete solutions.

Predictions