Kamala Harris finally revealed Monday that she does not plan to visit the southern border because it would just be a ‘grand gesture’ as opposed to a genuine trip as she warned illegal migrants they are not welcome in the U.S.
‘On the issues of Republicans’ political attacks or criticism or even concerns, the reason I am here in Guatemala as my first trip as vice president of the United States is because this is one of our highest priorities,’ Harris said during a question and answer portion of her press conference with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei.
‘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 continued.
‘And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.’
Harris said she ‘believes’ any migrants who attempt to enter the U.S. through non-legal channels will be turned away if they arrive at the border.
‘I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home,’ Harris said after her bilateral meeting with Giammattei.
‘At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come,’ she said, and repeated for emphasis: ‘Do not come.’
‘The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border,’ the vice president insisted. ‘There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations’
‘And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.’
Harris was greeted with protesters when she arrived for her first international trip as vice president in Guatemala City, which is 2,142 miles from where families are streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border.
‘Kamala go home,’ one white flag with black painted letters read, while another demanded she ‘mind her own business’.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamattei held a bilateral meeting in Guatemala on Monday as part of talks to deal with ‘root causes’ of mass migration from Latin America to the U.S.
Harris’ first international trip was met with protesters demanding she ‘mind your own business’
‘Kamala go home’ one sign read outside the Guatemalan Air Force facility
Harris’ first foreign trip comes as migrants continue to risk their lives making the trek from Central America to the U.S. southern border. Here people ride rafts across the Suchiate River between Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico and Tecun Uman, Guatemala on June 7, 2021
As the vice president rode in her motorcade from her hotel to Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, reporters spoted a group of pro-Trump demonstrators with signs reading: ‘Kamala, Trump won.’
During the press conference, Giammattei vowed Guatemala would set up ‘returnee centers’ where they would accept their citizens who the U.S. sent back after crossing the border illegally.
Harris began her meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei with quick remarks where she said: ‘I very much have been looking forward to this trip, we have had many conversations, but it is good to see you in person.’
The two have spoken on the phone previously.
‘I am very proud that this is my first foreign trip as vice president,’ Harris continued. ‘It is a reflection of the priority that President Biden placed on this region.’
As Harris commenced her two-day trip south of the border, migrant families continue to stream over into the U.S. either by foot or on inflatable rafts.
Ahead of the meeting, Giammattei made a statement in English.
‘Thank you very much for your visit,’ he said to Harris. ‘For us, it’s very important to have you here because it means that Guatemala and the United States can work as partners with common goals.’
He details some of the main goals as addressing narcotics trafficking, immigration, corruption in the region and building up prosperity walls within departments near the border with Mexico.
![Harris doubled-down that she will not be visting the border during her trip – or any time soon. 'I will continue to be focused on [addressing root causes of migration and corruption] as opposed to grand gestures'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06/07/19/43938019-9660943-image-a-59_1623091850521.jpg)
Harris doubled-down that she will not be visting the border during her trip – or any time soon. ‘I will continue to be focused on [addressing root causes of migration and corruption] as opposed to grand gestures’
The border is closed: During the press conference, Harris warned those thinking of crossing illegally: ‘Do not come!’ She said, ‘I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back’
Harris’ first international trip and press conference on the crisis took place in Guatemala City, which is 2,142 miles from where families are continuing to stream across the U.S.-Mexico border in mass numbers. Critics decry the vice president for avoiding a trip to the border despite being put in charge of the migration crisis
A 33-year-old Guatemalan man transports people and goods across the Suchiate River between Tecun Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico
In a press conference following the meeting, Giammattei said – in Spanish this time – that the two nations would work toward more ‘orderly migration’ that would ‘allow people to migrate regularly to the United States.’
‘We also spoke about the need to support the United States with a returnee center that will be located in the western part of the country,’ he continued, adding they are wording on a ‘strong family reunification program.’
These efforts, he ensured, would ‘help to ensure that the flow of persons in the southern border of the United States be controlled.’
Harris’ trip started off bumpy on Sunday when Air Force 2 was forced to turn around minutes after take-off due to ‘technical issues’, which appeared to stem from an unusual noise coming from the landing gear.
‘I’m good, I’m good. We all said a little prayer, but we’re good,’ Harris told reporters as she deplaned Air Force 2 and waited for another plane to get ready.
The vice president’s team has made it clear that Harris’ role as ‘border czar’ is to address the ‘root causes’ that lead to a mass amount of Central American citizens fleeing their home countries and migrating to the U.S.
Harris chief spokesperson Symone Sanders told reporters climate and economic downfall were among ‘main drivers’ of the surge in migrants.
Critics claim, however, that President Joe Biden is to blame for the crisis after he immediately rolled back Trump-era border restrictions upon taking office this year.
The Biden administration has denied that they are sending the message that the border is ‘open’, and instead is blaming it on ‘root causes’ in Northern Triangle nations like climate, poverty, crime and corruption.
More than 178,000 migrants crossed the border in April alone, which was a continuation of a spike in February and March. Numbers for May have not yet been released.
Harris arrived in Guatemala City on Sunday and held a bilateral meeting with Giammattei and their teams
Following the meeting, the two held a press conference where they made statements and fielded questions from reporters
The bilateral meeting between Harris, Giammattei and their team was held Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
Harris listens as Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei speaks at their bilateral meeting
Demonstrators urged Harris to ‘respect Guatemala’s constitution’
Customs and Border Patrol number show record numbers of encounters with illegal crossers with a record-high of 178,622 in April alone, continuing on from massive spike in February and March
The Supreme Court sided with President Joe Biden by unanimously refused on Monday to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally.
The justices, acting on an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.
The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years.
Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.
The Biden administration is facing a massive crisis at the southern border, which includes record-high levels of illegal crossers and all-time high numbers of unaccompanied minors in U.S. custody.
In March, Biden put Harris in charge of the migration crisis – but the administration has still not referred to the situation as such.
As it appeared the problem wasn’t going anywhere at the southern border, the administration quickly rebranded to indicate Harris is focused on addressing root causes that lead to mass migration to the U.S. from Northern Triangle countries – Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
Reports show the vice president’s office didn’t want to give her something that could be seen as a failure on her part.
Since taking over, Republicans have slammed the vice president for not once visiting the southern border, where enforcement groups are overwhelmed and facilities reached near 2,000 per cent capacity at some points.
A man polishes shoes of police officers standing guard on the street during Harris’ visit to Guatemala City on June 7, 2021
People wait in line at a checkpoint around the perimeter of the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura as Harris holds her bilateral meeting with Giammattei
Harris said she will go to Mexico during her trip south of the border, but maintained that she will still not stop at the U.S. side of the border.
She has also already spoken on the phone with Guatemalan President Giammattei and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Harris is meeting with Giammattei on Monday and will afterwards engage in events with Guatemalan community leaders and entrepreneurs afterwards.
On Tuesday, she will travel to Mexico City to meet with President López Obrador and participate in roundtables with women entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico.
People protesting the Guatemalan government hold signs during Harris and Giammattei’s bilateral meeting
Supreme Court unanimously BLOCKS 400,000 immigrants who entered the US illegally and were allowed to stay on ‘humanitarian grounds’ from applying for a green card
The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally, siding with President Joe Biden’s administration.
The justices, acting in an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.
The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for years.
The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally. The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez from El Salvador (above), who entered the US twice illegally
Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.
A federal law called the Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that people seeking to become permanent residents have been ‘inspected and admitted’ into the United States. At issue in the case was whether a grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives the recipient ‘lawful status,’ satisfies those requirements.
Writing for the court, liberal Justice Elena Kagan said that ‘because a grant of TPS does not come with a ticket of admission, it does not eliminate the disqualifying effect of an unlawful entry.’
Foreign nationals can be granted Temporary Protected Status if a humanitarian crisis in their home country, such as a natural disaster or armed conflict, would make their return unsafe.
There are about 400,000 people in the United States with protected status, which prevents deportation and lets them work legally.
The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez, who live in New Jersey and have four children.
The couple twice entered the United States illegally: in 1997 and 1998. After a series of earthquakes in 2001, the United States designated El Salvador as covered under the Temporary Protected Status program. The couple received protection under the program that same year.
Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats
U.S. officials rejected their 2014 applications for green cards because they had not been lawfully admitted.
They sued in federal court, saying that those with lawful status, including Temporary Protected Status recipients, are deemed to have been lawfully admitted, and may apply for permanent residency.
Last year, the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the couple.
Besides El Salvador, 11 other countries currently have such designations: Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Myanmar was the latest addition to the list, placed there by Biden’s administration in the wake of a Feb. 1 military coup there.
The Supreme Court ruled in the case on a day when U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits Guatemala as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to lower migration to the United States from that country as well as El Salvador and Honduras.
Conservative justice Clarence Thomas initially suggested the Supreme Court would be reluctant to let immigrants with protected status apply for permanent residency when the case was first presented to the court on April 19.
‘They clearly were not admitted at the borders, so is that a fiction, is it metaphysical, what is it? I don’t know,’ conservative Justice Clarence Thomas asked.