SAN JUAN, Texas (Border Report) — Members of a Hispanic civil rights political organization in South Texas say they’re excited that President Joe Biden isn’t running for another term and are hopeful that if Kamala Harris gets the Democratic nomination, and is elected, that she will reform immigration policies.
“We are energized by the news that just came out that Biden will be stepping down from the presidential race, and that Kamala is going to be the front runner, at least right now for that seat,” Michael Mireles, director of civic engagement for LUPE Votes, told Border Report on Monday.
“I want to remind people what is at stake in November, and specifically, I want to ask them to remember what the last four years were like, before Biden came into office. In the administration prior, we saw thousands of children separated from their families at the border,” Mireles said.
LUPE Votes is the political arm of LUPE — La Union del Pueblo Entero — a civil rights organization founded by the late Cesar Chavez.
The organization has not formally endorsed Harris but said they are considering it.
“Kamala Harris will be a tough fighter. We, we think that she is going to be someone that our communities can talk to,” said Dani Marrero Hi, deputy director of LUPE Votes.
Hi says the Biden administration has not done enough for “Dreamers” and asylum-seekers, but is hopeful that Harris could change that if elected.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t seen the border policies that we would like for asylum seekers so that they’re able to seek asylum in a way that’s safe and orderly or a pathway to citizenship for people who live here. We think that now that there’s going to be a new nominee, it’s a chance for the Democratic Party to adopt new policies that welcome immigrants and protect mixed status families here in the United States,” Hi said.
Both Harris’ parents are immigrants. Her father was born in Jamaica and her mother was born in India.
Hi says her family’s immigrant background makes her more sympathetic to those seeking to come to the United States, and also to families with mixed-status members.
“Her coming from an immigrant household, I think she understands a lot of multiracial households and how the demographics of the country and Texas are changing. And so we think that’s a strength in her story in being able to connect with South Texas voters,” Hi said.
Biden has currently imposed tough asylum rules that prevent migrants from crossing the border and claiming asylum unless they use the CBP One app and cross at legal U.S. ports of entry, Hi said.
U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz is a Republican who represents South Texas who says Harris is part of the border security problem. And she says Biden hasn’t done enough to stop illegal immigration at the border.
“Joe Biden has let not only South Texans down but all Americans down. The worst immigration crisis in our nation’s history has happened under Joe Biden, where not only do we see millions of illegal immigrants have crossed our border, but 350 known terrorists on the terrorist watch lists have been stopped at our border. That’s just under Joe Biden. What about our quote-unquote ‘border czar’ in Kamala Harris? This is all happened under her watch. What a terrible choice. We’re going from bad to worse,” De La Cruz told Border Report on Monday.
Harris was tasked at the beginning of Biden’s term with finding the root causes of immigration and what is driving asylum-seekers north.
De La Cruz says Harris hasn’t visited the border enough during her term. She came to the South Texas town of Edinburg while campaigning in 2020, and she visited El Paso in 2021.
De La Cruz also questions that if Biden is stepping down from running in November, if he is fit for office now.
“Biden’s cognitive decline has been evident for many, many months, if not years, the world has seen his decline over the last several years. But we especially saw it in the debate. What’s most troubling is this is that if he is not well enough, and being pushed out by DC leaders not to run in November, then who’s running our government right now? If he can’t stand to run in November, then who is running our government? Now? These are very scary times,” De La Cruz said.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at [email protected].