Hispanic leaders and civil rights groups are standing behind Vice President Kamala Harris, despite their previous disagreements with the Biden administration on border policies. Robert Rivas, the speaker of the California Assembly, had criticized Harris’s comments on immigration in 2021 but is now supporting her presidential campaign.
The issue of immigration is expected to be a challenging one for Vice President Kamala Harris as she embarks on her campaign for the presidency. Republicans are trying to portray her as President Biden’s failed “border czar” and are running ads linking her to administration policies that they claim have led to border chaos.
Criticism has also come from liberal and progressive Democrats, as well as immigrant rights groups, who believe that Harris and the administration have not done enough to address immigration issues and have given ground to former President Trump and his supporters.
One of the most notable moments during Harris’s time as vice president was when she received backlash from Latino elected officials and immigrant rights leaders for telling migrants not to come to the US during a news conference in Guatemala in 2021. This statement led Robert Rivas and the Latino Legislative Caucus to issue a strong statement opposing her remarks and urging the administration to support asylum seekers.
Despite their past disagreements, Robert Rivas and other leaders have put aside their differences with the White House and are endorsing Kamala Harris, stating that she is a much better option than former President Trump. Rivas highlighted Trump’s harsh policies against immigrants from Latin American and Muslim-majority countries, emphasizing that there is no comparison between the two candidates.
The support from Latino leaders and civil rights groups will be crucial for Kamala Harris as she navigates the complexities of immigration policies during her presidential campaign. Their endorsement shows a willingness to look past past disagreements and focus on the bigger picture of ensuring a better future for immigrants and the country as a whole.