Vice President Kamala Harris did not address immigration during rallies this week in Michigan and Wisconsin, but she made it a major part of her stump speech on Friday night at a crowded rally in a Phoenix suburb.
"We will move forward and take on the biggest issues facing our nation, for example, the issue of immigration," Harris told the crowd of supporters, reported NBC News. "I was attorney general of a border state. I went after the transnational gangs, the drug cartels and human traffickers. I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won."
Harris supported a border security package that was negotiated earlier this year by a bipartisan group of senators, but was eventually vehemently rejected by Republican members at the demand of Republican nominee Donald Trump. Harris asserted, "Donald Trump does not want to fix this problem. To be clear, he has no intent or interest in genuinely solving the issue. He speaks a great game when it comes to border security, but he doesn't act accordingly."
Additionally, Harris emphasised "freedom" throughout her statements at the event, much as she has done at previous campaign visits, particularly when it comes to voting rights, gun safety, LBGT rights, and access to abortion. "Arizona, our battle is for the future and it's a battle for liberty," declared Harris, who had entered the arena to the sound of Beyonce's "Freedom."
During their visit of a campaign office in North Phoenix on Friday afternoon, Harris and Walz acknowledged the difficulty of the race and expressed gratitude to the volunteers who were making signs that read, "This Mamala is Voting for Kamala" and "Kamala and the Coach." (Walz coached football in high school.) During the rally, she emphasised it once again. "As exciting as this is, we cannot lose sight of a really important fact: We are definitely running as the underdog," Harris stated.
According to The Associated Press, after repeatedly criticising Biden for the flood of immigrants during his presidency, Trump is now focusing their criticism on Harris. In a new ad, Kari Lake, the Democratic candidate challenging Republican Rep. Ruben Gallego for the open Senate seat in Arizona, attacks Gallego for endorsing Biden and Harris' "radical border agenda," which includes multiple clips of the vice president laughing. "It's very easy for us to segue and switch our sights and focus on her," Republican party chairman of Pima County Dave Smith said.
Arizona is represented by Democrat Mark Kelly in the US Senate, who has won two tough races in the politically divided states and whom Harris passed over as a running mate this week.
She stressed that she and Biden "are working around the clock every day to get that cease-fire deal done and bring the hostages home." Harris added, "I respect your voices, but we are here to now talk about this race in 2024." She responded differently earlier this week when Gaza protesters interrupted her during a Detroit-area rally. She talked over the protesters.
Immigration is the main topic of discussion as both camps compete for Arizonan support. In 2020, President Joe Biden prevailed in the state by roughly 10,000 votes, and current polling indicates that Harris and Trump may have an identical margin of victory. Additionally, the most recent voter registration data from the Arizona Secretary of State's office shows that Democrats' percentage of the state's electorate has decreased by 3% under the Biden administration.
