In a surprising shift, Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is now pledging to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the wall along the southern border. The wall is a project she once opposed, calling it “un-American” during the Trump administration.
Harris is adopting a tougher stance on immigration, especially as former President Donald Trump’s campaign pours millions into advertisements attacking her on this very issue. Regardless, there are still major differences between Harris and Trump when it comes to immigration policy.
While Harris is pivoting toward border security, she remains firmly opposed to Trump’s proposed approach of mass deportations.
In a speech during the Democratic National Convention, Harris said she would sign the bipartisan Border Security Bill, which Trump had actively opposed. Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., negotiated the compromise bill, which included hundreds of millions of dollars to continue building the border wall.
Lankford made it clear that the bill follows the specifications set during the Trump administration. It covers everything from where the wall will be built to its height. Harris’ team points out that this is a far smaller commitment than what Trump originally proposed.
The bill allocates $650 million to the wall, compared to the $18 billion Trump requested in 2018. The Harris team also states the bill doesn’t allocate new money for the wall. It is designed to extend the timeline for spending money that was already appropriated during Trump’s term.
