Unexpected Turn: Kamala Harris Backs New Border Wall Funding

Kamala Harris has shifted her stance on the border wall, now supporting a new funding bill dedicated to its expansion.

At a Glance

Kamala Harris pledges to spend significant funds on the southern border wall if elected president, reversing her previous opposition.
This move comes in response to attacks from Donald Trump’s campaign, positioning her as having a tougher stance on immigration.
The new bill reallocates unspent funds for wall construction and adds provisions for asylum lawyers and judges.
Despite supporting the wall, Harris continues to oppose Trump’s family separation policy and mass deportation plans.

Harris’ New Stance on the Border Wall

Kamala Harris, once a vocal critic of Donald Trump’s border wall, announced her support for a new funding bill to expand the wall. This dramatic shift has sparked wide debate, challenging the consistency of Harris’s stance on border and immigration policy. This new development complicates the already complex U.S. immigration landscape and places Harris’s political adaptability and decision-making in the spotlight.

Harris now pledges to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the southern border wall if elected, despite her past opposition, saying the wall was “un-American” and a “medieval vanity project” in 2018. This turnaround has led to accusations of policy flip-flopping from Republicans and criticisms from various political commentators and media outlets.

The Bill’s Specifications and Impact

The new bipartisan funding bill reallocates unspent federal funds for wall construction and includes measures to hire more asylum lawyers and judges. It permits the president to shut down the border if migrant crossings exceed 5,000 per day. Harris’s advisors argue that the bill does not include new money for the wall but extends the timeline for spending funds previously appropriated.

“Harris called it Trump’s ‘medieval vanity project’ then and ‘un-American’ in a 2018 social media post. She also posted in 2020 that ‘Trump’s border wall is a complete waste of taxpayer money and won’t make us any safer.'” – Yahoo News

In response to pressure from Trump’s campaign, Harris is striking a more hawkish tone on immigration while still opposing policies like family separation and mass deportation plans. She has argued that Trump himself tanked a bipartisan border security bill, which included similar provisions but failed after Republican members withdrew support under Trump’s influence.

VP Kamala Harris in her DNC speech last week vowed to bring back a bill which would allocate funds to the border wall.https://t.co/DCVjMnR0Ny

— KTXS News (@KTXS_News) August 28, 2024

Political Ramifications

This shift has broader implications for the political dialogue on immigration. The Democratic Party is moving towards the political center on this issue, attracting little opposition from progressive activists who prioritize electoral victory over immediate policy disagreements. The new campaign ads depict Harris as an immigration hardliner, overshadowing her past criticisms of the wall. Her evolving stance highlights the profound impact of Trump’s influence on the immigration debate.

“Yes, there is a palpable and deep worry about how much Democrats are willing to compromise on immigration,” Vanessa Cárdenas, the executive director of America’s Voice, told me. “We’re in a very different political moment than years past. We’re going to have to make hard choices. But ultimately as advocates, we need to keep our eye on the ball and make sure we win as much as possible.” – Vanessa Cárdenas

While Harris has committed to reviving a bipartisan immigration deal, Republicans continue to accuse her of flip-flopping on key issues. Despite acknowledging the compromises necessary for political maneuvering, this move has underscored the fluid nature of political positions, especially amidst such a contentious topic.