Many criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for not effectively addressing the root causes of migration as she was tasked to do by President Joe Biden in March 2021. While she visited Mexico to sign an agreement for financial assistance, Harris did not visit the southern border or the countries in Central America since January 2022, while making no new financial commitments to address root issues. Critics, including the Border Patrol union, say she did not deliver on her immigration-related assignments.
Harris faced criticism for telling migrants “don’t come” during her work in Guatemala, but her agreement with Mexico led to significant investments from U.S. companies in the region since 2021. Despite Mexican calls for more direct investment from the U.S., Harris made no new financial commitments with her Root Causes Strategy after 2021.
While the White House defended Harris’ work, think tanks and organizations studying immigration have questioned the impact of her efforts. Even though there has been a decline in immigration from Central American countries since 2021, experts attribute it to factors like U.S. policies restricting asylum and increased Mexican interdictions, rather than Harris’ efforts.
Harris remains focused on private-sector investments in the region, while USAID has taken over the U.S. funds for development in Central America. Despite her diplomatic efforts early on, critics argue that Harris did not effectively address the root causes of migration as expected.
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