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Developments

By a vote of 220-196, the Republican-majority House of Representatives approved a resolution “Strongly condemning the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris’s, failure to secure the United States border.”

Six Democrats from swing districts voted with the Republicans: Yadira Caraveo (Denver suburbs, Colorado); Henry Cuéllar (Laredo and Rio Grande Valley, Texas); Donald Davis (northeastern North Carolina); Jared Golden (rural Maine); Mary Peltola (Alaska); and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (southwestern Washington).

The resolution had originally read “on March 24, 2021, President Biden asked Vice President Kamala Harris to serve as the administration’s border czar.” After Democrats in the House Rules Committee pointed out that this was factually inaccurate, the language changed to “came to be known colloquially as the Biden administration’s ‘border czar.’”

“This is like voting on a press release. What a colossal waste of time,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts), the ranking Democrat on the Rules Committee.

• Stephen Groves, “House Republicans Vote to Rebuke Kamala Harris Over Administration’s Handling of Border Policy” (Associated Press, Associated Press, July 25, 2024).
• “Rep. Jim McGovern @RepMcGovern on Twitter” (Twitter, July 25, 2024).

Much press coverage continues to analyze Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’s border and migration record. Republican statements and advertising, meanwhile, continue to seek lines of attack on the same issue.

Media analyses point out that Harris’s role was not the “border” but addressing “root causes” of migration from Central America. A Los Angeles Times examination of Harris’s role indicated that the Vice President’s interest in the issue flagged during her tenure.

• Andrea Castillo, Kate Linthicum, Kevin Rector, Patrick J. Mcdonnell, “Republicans Frame Kamala Harris as a Failed ‘Border Czar.’ What Did She Really Do on Migration as Vp?” (Los Angeles Times, Yahoo!, July 26, 2024).
• Lauren Villagran, Rebecca Morin, “Border Politics Heat Up in White House Race: Where Does Harris Stand on Immigration?” (USA Today, July 25, 2024).
• Paola Nagovitch, “No, Kamala Harris Was Never the ‘Border Czar’” (El Pais (Spain), July 26, 2024).
• Max Cohen, “The Harris Border Ads Hit the Airwaves” (Punchbowl News, July 26, 2024).
• Stephen Dinan, “Biden Claims Credit for Low Border Encounters in Critical Political Moment for His Vice President” (The Washington Times, July 25, 2024).
• Phil Boas, “‘Border Czar’ or Not, Kamala Harris Ran From Her Job to Get the Border Under Control” (The Arizona Republic, July 25, 2024).
• Ashley Papa, Michael Ruiz, “Kamala Harris’ House Condemnation for Border Failure ‘Long Overdue but Absolutely Warranted’: Brandon Judd” (Fox News, July 26, 2024).
• Billal Rahman, “Kamala Harris ‘Owns’ Migrant Crisis, Former Border Chief Says” (Newsweek, July 26, 2024).

On a visit to the border in San Diego, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) added to attacks on what he called “the Biden-Harris border catastrophe,” adding the false talking point that undocumented migrants will play a role in voter fraud against Republicans in the November elections.

• Jasmine Ramirez, “House Speaker Visits San Diego’s Southern Border to Discuss Immigration” (KFMB, July 25, 2024).

Border Patrol has now found the remains of 140 migrants in its El Paso sector, a segment of the border stretching from the Arizona-New Mexico border to just east of El Paso, during fiscal year 2024. In all of fiscal 2023, the figure was 149 migrant deaths, a record for the sector that is certain to be broken, as the region’s scorching-hot summer is far from over.

The rising fatalities are occurring even as migrant apprehensions plummet in the sector (and border-wide). It may be that, with asylum blocked for many under the Biden administration’s new June 2024 restrictions, more people are trying to evade apprehension in the desert. The organization No More Deaths announced a new update to its El Paso migrant death map for 2024.

• Julian Resendiz, “Border Patrol Appeals to Migrant Relatives as Death Toll Now at 140 in el Paso Sector” (Border Report, July 25, 2024).

The Senate Appropriations Committee will “mark up” (amend and approve its version of) the 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations bill on Thursday, August 1. The bill text is not yet public.

• “Full Committee Markup of Energy and Water Development; Defense; Labor, Health, and Human Services; Homeland Security; And Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Acts” (Senate Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate, July 25, 2024).

After suffering judicial setbacks in efforts to prosecute or sue El Paso’s Annunciation House and McAllen’s Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton (R) is now going after a third respite center that receives migrants released from CBP custody. Paxton is now seeking to compel management of Team Brownsville to sit for a deposition. The hard-right state official believes that these charities, whose work prevents releases of migrants onto border cities’ streets, are encouraging undocumented migration.

• Sandra Sanchez, “Texas Attorney General Going After 3rd Border Nonprofit That Helps Migrants” (Border Report, July 25, 2024).

A CBP helicopter “made an emergency landing or crashed into Mexican territory” near Laredo yesterday evening.

• “U.S. Border Patrol Helicopter Reportedly Crashes, Lands on Mexican Territory” (KGNS (Laredo Texas), July 25, 2024).

Analyses and Feature Stories

A new report from nine U.S. organizations presented more than 30 examples of due process and human rights violations suffered by asylum seekers at the border since the Biden administration’s June 5 rule restricting asylum went into effect. Abuses include arbitrary deportations without an opportunity to seek protection in the United States; obstacles to accessing legal representation; inhumane detention conditions; and family separations.

• “Six Weeks After Biden’s Second Asylum Ban Took Effect, Advocates Report Rampant Rights Violations at U.S.-Mexico Border” (Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, Hope Border Institute, Human Rights First, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, National Immigrant Justice Center, Refugees International, the National Immigration Law Center, Women’s Refugee Commission, National Immigrant Justice Center, July 25, 2024).

The outcome of Venezuela’s Sunday presidential election could have a big effect on migration from a country that has seen a quarter of its population exit since the mid-2010s. If the opposition wins, as polls predict, migration could slow and some Venezuelans could return. If the authoritarian Maduro regime declares itself the victor, migration could increase further.

• Astrid Suarez, Gisela Salomon, Nayara Batschke, Teresa Medrano, “Forced to Emigrate, Venezuelans Living Abroad Hope for Change — and to Eventually Return Home” (Associated Press, July 25, 2024).
• Dan Gooding, “Venezuelan Presidential Election Could Impact Migrants Headed to Us” (Newsweek, July 25, 2024).