Harris Visits The Southern Border After Trying To Keep The Focus Away From It

Vice President Harris visited the U.S.-Mexico border Friday in El Paso, Texas, after weeks of badgering by Republicans and at the urging of some Democrats, and called for an end to the political "finger pointing" over who's to blame for record numbers of people seeking asylum at the southern border.

Harris is in charge of the thorny issue of migration from Central America at a time when the administration has struggled to keep up with a surge in migrants.

In March, President Biden tasked Harris with addressing the root causes of the migration crisis, a role he had when he was vice president during an earlier spike in border crossings. Although the White House was careful to emphasize that her role was meant to be a diplomatic one, working with the Central American countries driving the arrivals, critics immediately asked why the "border czar" was avoiding the border. That's not a title she ever had.

Harris had been to the border as a senator, but the Biden administration had intentionally avoided having the vice president visit the border until now. "I'm glad to be here. It was always the plan to come here," she told reporters upon landing in El Paso.