VP Harris to visit southern border this week, days before Trump's scheduled visit

Harris was appointed by President Biden this spring to work on the surge of immigrants at the southwest U.S. border but has yet to visit the region.

By Brianna Kraemer

Published: June 23, 2021 1:32pm

Updated: June 23, 2021 3:41pm

Vice President Kamala Harris will on Friday visit the southwest U.S. border, roughly three months after President Biden asked her to lead the effort into learning what caused the record-surge this spring of new arrivals from Latin American.

Harris will go to El Paso, Texas, just days before former President Trump's planned visit to the border.

Harris will be accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, according to Politico.

Congressional Republicans and others have since Harris was given the assignment called upon her to visit the border. The administration has said she's been tasked with looking into the root cause of the immigration and recently visited Guatemala and Mexico in that effort.

Trump announced a scheduled visit to the border over a week ago. He is set to arrive June 30 and be joined by Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott. The former president has been a strong advocate for secure borders and is expected to be joined on his trip by a dozen House Republicans.

Harris pledged to visit the border soon at the end of her Guatemala-Mexico trip two weeks ago when she was bombarded with criticism during a press conference with the Guatemalan president.