EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)– Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to El Paso on Friday along with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durban of Illinois.
The White House shared the first details of the itinerary on Thursday. Vice President Harris will arrive in El Paso in the morning where she will then visit a U.S. Customs and Border Protection central processing center during her trip.
She will be doing a walking tour of the facility, and she will receive an operational briefing. And this particular briefing will cover the operations of the facility. The latest advancements in technology and the facilities efforts, and the administration’s efforts to combat transnational crime.
From there, Harris will meet with advocates from faith-based non-governmental organizations, as well as shelter and legal service providers.
The vice president is expected to deliver remarks to media and take questions before leaving to Los Angeles.
This is Harris’ first official trip to the U.S. and Mexico border since taking office and since President Biden tasked her with the role as the Border Czar to oversee the administration’s immigration efforts back in March.
Symone Sanders, the Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson for the Vice President, responded addressed ongoing criticism from Republicans over Harris’ visit to El Paso where it was stated that she should visit the Rio Grande Valley instead.
“El Paso is really representative of what is happening at the border from California all the way through Texas and beyond,” Sanders said.
Harris will not be visiting the HHS facility for unaccompanied migrant children housed at Fort Bliss despite ongoing concerns over the conditions of the facility.
“The administration is concerned by these reports and we do know that HHS has taken steps to address them,” Sanders said. “This is serious for the President and the Vice President, and we know it’s serious and important to HHS to get to the bottom of this, and ensure that the highest standards are being upheld.”
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