Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday was greeted by protesters in New Hampshire who urged her to visit the US-Mexico border in her role as the Biden administration’s migration czar.
A handful of protesters brandished signs near Plymouth, NH, including one that read “Mexico —2,254 mi,” according to a pool report.
Another sign said, “Hey Kamala / Stop the illegal invasion / Go visit Mexico.” Yet another sign said, “Impeach Biden-Harris.”
Harris was in New Hampshire to promote President Biden’s more than $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. She made a similar trip Monday to North Carolina and will travel next week to Baltimore to mark the Biden administration’s first 100 days.
Harris touted a proposed expansion of broadband internet in Plymouth before touring an electrical worker union facility in state capital Concord, where she promoted workforce training initiatives.
“We see a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of all that this pandemic has brought in terms of the loss of life and jobs and normalcy. And this, I believe, is one of those things, this push to invest in America’s future, that is going to give people a great sense of hope about what is possible,” Harris said of the infrastructure bill.
While in Concord, Harris made a brief unscheduled stop at a local bookstore, where she inquired about the economic recovery following COVID-19 lockdowns. She accepted a book about a troublesome bear in New Hampshire described as proving the necessity of government.
Biden on March 24 asked Harris to lead the US response to a surge of migrants, including families and unaccompanied minors from the “Northern Triangle” — Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — in Central America.
But the White House later emphasized she would address only the “root causes” of migration and not border enforcement.
In the 30 days since, she has yet to visit the southern border or hold a press conference on the border crisis.
Last week, Harris said she intends to travel to Latin America, including Guatemala and Mexico, but a date has not been announced.
Harris has spoken by phone with the leaders of Guatemala and Mexico, but she has not spoken with the leaders of El Salvador or Honduras.
Critics attribute the border crisis to Biden’s policies and have questioned Harris’ commitment, noting her sparse public events on the topic and the fact that she hasn’t visited the border, where children are held in cramped, jail-like facilities.
In a letter Monday, the top Republicans on three House committees asked Harris for a meeting to discuss migration, writing that “it is unclear what, if any actions you have directed or plan to initiate to respond to the crisis that continues to worsen each day.”
