The border crisis rages on. Kamala Harris wants to pretend its not her fault.
But a border patrol chief just punches Kamala Harris in the gut with facts she can’t hide from anymore.
Lack of Communication and Policy Gaps: Retired Border Patrol Chief Criticizes Vice President Harris’s Handling of Immigration Crisis
In a recent revelation, retired Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott has confirmed that Vice President Kamala Harris never engaged in direct communication with him, even after being appointed to address a significant aspect of the U.S. immigration crisis. Scott, who led the Border Patrol during the last year of the Trump administration and the first seven months of the Biden administration, described a complete breakdown in communication with the White House after the change in administration.
Scott emphasized that the regular policy briefings with the White House, which were a hallmark during the Trump administration, ceased entirely as soon as President Biden took office. This lack of dialogue continued despite Harris being tasked with addressing the “root causes” of illegal immigration from Central America, a critical issue at the southern border.
When asked by the reporters if Harris had ever reached out to him during his tenure, Scott responded, “Absolutely not.” He added that the Biden administration made it clear that they would seek his and his agency’s input only if they deemed it necessary, but such requests were never made.
“At no time did Biden or Harris ever ask to meet with or get briefed by U.S. Border Patrol,” Scott stated, further confirming that this no-contact policy remained unchanged even after Harris was officially appointed to lead the initiative in March 2021.
Despite Harris’s public role in tackling the immigration crisis, Scott argued that her efforts fell significantly short. He noted that while Harris visited Central America to address the root causes of illegal immigration, her efforts yielded little success. According to Scott, illegal immigration from the countries she visited doubled or tripled after her visit, highlighting a lack of follow-up and effective strategy.
Texas National Guard boat teams patrol the Rio Grande River to deter and repel illegal border crossings.
While the Biden-Harris Administration turns a blind eye to the border crisis, Operation Lone Star continues to step up around the clock. pic.twitter.com/BzEQYWiY89
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 8, 2024
Harris’s June 2021 visit to the U.S.-Mexico border near El Paso, Texas, came after months of pressure and coincided with the Biden administration’s decision to remove Scott from his position as Border Patrol Chief. His comments echo sentiments shared by other leaders within the Border Patrol. Former Chief Raul Ortiz, who succeeded Scott, also revealed that he never had any direct communication with Biden or Harris during his tenure. Ortiz described the lack of communication as “a problem.”
The absence of dialogue and interest in border security briefings marked a stark contrast to the Trump administration, where Scott recalled weekly White House meetings.
While these meetings were not always with President Trump or Vice President Pence, they ensured that the leadership was well-informed and engaged with the situation at the border. In contrast, Scott described the Biden-Harris administration’s approach as disinterested in receiving updates or input from Border Patrol.
Moreover, Scott pointed out a significant shift in how the agency interacted with the media. Under the Trump administration, he had the freedom to speak openly about the border situation. However, this changed immediately after Biden and Harris took office, with personnel being effectively gagged and restricted from engaging freely with the press.
The Biden administration’s swift reversal of Trump-era border policies was accompanied by an unprecedented surge in illegal immigration. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data indicates that unlawful crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border surged from approximately 400,000 in fiscal year 2020, Trump’s last full year in office, to about 1,659,000 in fiscal year 2021. The numbers continued to climb, reaching over 2.2 million in fiscal year 2022, with nearly identical figures in the following fiscal year.
The surge in illegal border crossings has placed financial strain on cities far from the southern border, including New York City, Boston, Denver, and Chicago, which have spent millions to house and support asylum seekers. This ongoing crisis has also led to a shift in American voter sentiment towards border security policies, becoming a significant challenge for Harris as she faces re-election efforts.
The retired Border Patrol Chief’s remarks highlight the failures that have marked the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the immigration crisis, raising questions about the effectiveness of their approach to border security.
Even Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has chimed in recently and said that Kamala Harris has “a lot to explain” for the way the illegal immigration issue has worsened on her watch as Vice President and the “border czar”.
RFK Jr: Harris has “a lot to explain” about the border crisis
“She was in charge of the border”
“And it feels like she was gaslighting us on President Biden’s condition.
She was meeting President Biden every day and coming out and saying ‘he’s great!’” pic.twitter.com/cqivh4YZm7
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) August 1, 2024
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