El Paso (1080 KRLD) - Vice President Kamala Harris spent about four hours in Texas on Friday meeting with local officials about the surge in migrants at the border. Harris came to El Paso with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, a Democrat who represents the area around El Paso, says she invited the two.
"We have to completely re-envision the way we greet migrants at our nation's front door," Escobar says.
The group met with faith leaders and the leaders of non-profits. Among them were Mark Seitz, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, and Fernando Garcia, director of Annunciation House, a non-profit that works with immigrants in El Paso.
"Let's not lose sight of the fact we're talking about human beings," Harris says. "Let's not lose sight of the fact we're talking about stories that involve horrendous tales of abuse and fear and harm."
This was Harris' first trip to the border since President Joe Biden named her to oversee his administration's efforts to address immigration.
"Let's recognize with a sense of humanity that these issues must be addressed in a way that is informed by fact and informed by reality," she says.
The group visited a migrant processing center but not a location at Fort Bliss which is holding unaccompanied children. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, says children now spend an average of fewer than 30 hours at the facilities.
"I am hopeful Congress will pass immigration reform to fix a system everyone recognizes is broken," he says.
Next week, former President Donald Trump plans to visit a section of completed border wall near McAllen with Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott has said he would reallocate $250 million for the construction of a border wall.
Abbott has also been asking for private donations. Through Wednesday, his office said the project had raised $459,000.
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