June 29, 2022 12:37pm EDT
Kamala Harris breaks silence on 53 Texas migrant deaths, says Abbott 'went straight to politics'
Kamala Harris argues the White House is taking human smuggling across the southern border 'seriously'
By Caitlin McFall | Fox News
Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday chided Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s response to the news that at least 53 migrants had died after being left in an abandoned semitruck in San Antonio, Texas this week.
"How the governor of that state responded really highlights part of the problem because his response when there are 50 dead bodies in his state is to go straight to politics," Harris said in an interview with NPR. "Instead of dealing with the realities of the issue."
Officials are still investigating what appears to be one of the deadliest human smuggling cases in modern U.S. history. Republicans were quick to blame the horrific incident on the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
"These deaths are on Biden," tweeted Abbott Monday night. "They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law."
President Joe Biden shot back at the governor and accused him of "political grandstanding" after several Republicans slammed the administration’s border policies.
Republicans blame the surge of migrants at the southern border this year and Monday’s deadly incident on what they argue are "open border policies" after the White House reversed Trump-era immigration regulations.
Harris argued the administration is taking "seriously" the issue of human smuggling, which has increased in recent years as smugglers look to turn a profit on one of the most contested issues in the U.S.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-breaks-silence-texas-migrant-deaths-abbott-went-straight-politics
