Harris tells migrants: 'Do not come, do not come'
By Morgan Chalfant and Rafael Bernal - 06/07/21 02:36 PM EDT
Vice President Harris on Monday pleaded with migrants from Central American countries to stay home in a speech in Guatemala during her first foreign trip.
Harris has the tricky task of reintroducing the United States as a friend and ally to the region while finding ways to reduce migration, which has often been Central America's only social safety valve amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
The vice president was blunt in her message to Central Americans, repeating the line, "Do not come."
To soften the blow, she framed the Biden administration's closed-door policy in a message of hope for the region.
"I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home. At the same time I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States Mexico border: Do not come, do not come," Harris said.
The Biden administration's Central America strategy represents, like many other aspects of Biden's immigration policy, a stark shift from the Trump administration's initiatives.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/557181-harris-tells-migrants-do-not-come-do-not-come