Texas GOP lawmakers denounce Kamala Harris' likely nomination over her handling of immigration

As it becomes clearer that Vice President Kamala Harris will step up to be the Democratic nominee at the 2024 general elections, Texas Republican lawmakers are strengthening their attacks, particularly over her handling of immigration.

One of those voicing the message is Texan Sen. Ted Cruz, who said that on a scale of 1 to 100, he'd rate Harris' involvement with dealing with unauthorized migration a "negative 6,003," the Texas Tribune reports.

"She has presided over the worst invasion of the United States of America in the history of our country, 11.5 million people," Cruz said. "And it's deliberate. She wanted this to happen. Joe Biden wanted this to happen."

Similarly, state Rep. Charles Cunningham criticized Harris for not visiting the border more often during her tenure as VP, claiming that during his trips to Rio Grande, he was stunned to see migrants from Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

"I saw several people, looked like they were still in the airport with their luggage, just rolling across," Cunningham said. "That is all because of the policies we have today with this current administration."

These statements are just a part of the bigger message Republicans are trying to convey about Harris, having started calling her the "border czar."

Those allegations come as Harris was tasked in 2021 by the White House to deal with the Biden administration's diplomatic campaign to address the "root causes" of migration from countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, including poverty, corruption and violence.

Under her assignment, Harris has primarily been focused on convincing companies to invest in Central America and promoting democracy and development through democracy.

However, unlike the GOP alleges, Harris was not tasked to be the administration's "border czar" or to oversee immigration policy and enforcement in the U.S.-Mexico border. That role is mainly given to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and his department, which oversees the country's main three immigration agencies, including Customs and Border Protection.

Nevertheless, this hasn't stopped GOP lawmakers from focusing on this topic.

"The 'border czar' has been an utter failure," Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on X, sharing a clip of Harris speaking. "America's future is bleak if the border czar becomes president."

Likewise, in a phone conversation with CBS News on Saturday, a day before Biden's announcement, former President Donald Trump said Harris presided over the "worst border ever" as "border czar."

In the 48 hours that followed Biden's announcement to end his reelection bid, Vice President Harris gathered enough support from delegates to win the Democratic nomination, making her the presumptive Democratic nominee.