Kamala Harris Confronted on Border Policy in ’60 Minutes’ Interview

Vice President Kamala Harris faced some tough questions about the Biden Administration’s immigration policies during an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” that aired on Monday.

Correspondent Bill Whitaker pressed Harris on the Biden administration’s handling of border security, particularly focusing on the timing of recent policy changes that led to a decrease in border crossings.

Whitaker challenged Harris, noting the significant increase in arrivals during the administration’s first three years compared to the previous administration. “There was an historic flood of undocumented immigrants coming across the border the first three years of your administration. As a matter of fact, arrivals quadrupled from the last year of President Trump,” Whitaker stated.

When asked if it was a mistake to loosen immigration policies, Harris defended the administration’s approach: “It’s a longstanding problem. And solutions are at hand. And from day one, literally, we have been offering solutions.”

Newsweek contacted both Harris and Trump’s campaign via email on Monday for comment.

Whitaker persisted, asking, “Was it a mistake to kind of allow that flood to happen in the first place?” Harris responded by highlighting recent efforts: “We have cut the flow of illegal immigration by half. We have cut the flow of fentanyl by half. But we need Congress to be able to act to actually fix the problem.”

The Vice President emphasized the need for congressional action, citing an early proposal for immigration reform and recent bipartisan efforts in the Senate. Harris claimed that opposition from former President Donald Trump derailed progress on a border security bill.

This comes as Trump has again taken a hardline stance on immigration in his campaign for a second term. Trump was also notably absent from the “60 Minutes” lineup after he reportedly backed out of the interview after previously indicating he would participate.

Both Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, have accused the Biden-Harris administration of illegally bringing in immigrants. “If Kamala Harris waves a wand, illegally, and says these people are now here legally, I’m still going to call them illegal aliens. An illegal action by Kamala Harris does not make an alien legal. That is not how this works,” Vance said at a September rally.

This is a developing story that will be updated with more information.