Psaki snaps when asked why Kamala went to a bakery, not the border




© Provided by Daily Mail
MailOnline logo

White House press secretary Jen Psaki fired back at a reporter who questioned why Kamala Harris went to a Chicago bakery when she still hasn’t addressed the mounting crisis at the border.

Loading...

Load Error

‘She got a snack,’ Psaki quipped. ‘I think she’s allowed to do that.’

New York Post reporter Steven Nelson acknowledged during Wednesday’s press briefing: ‘As we discussed here today, Vice President Harris is put in charge of addressing the root causes of the border crisis.’

‘She hasn’t visited the border or Central America or spoken with leaders of El Salvador or Honduras,’ he noted. ‘She was traveling this week, took time to visit a bakery in Chicago. I’m wondering, is she still working on this and can you address the perception that she’s sort of quietly backing off while Secretary Mayorkas is pursuing some Trump-era policies?’

He is referencing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appearing to take a hard-line lead on the border crisis despite Harris’ role. 

Psaki replied: ‘The vice president was visiting Chicago, actually, to talk about COVID and the importance of communities getting the vaccine when it’s available and accessible to them.’

‘So, while she was there, like many Americans, she got a snack.’

‘The vice president was visiting Chicago, actually, to talk about COVID and the importance of communities getting the vaccine,’ Psaki said. ‘So, while she was there, like many Americans, she got a snack. I think she’s allowed to do that’

Since being appointed Border Czar last month, Harris has jetted all over the U.S. without visiting the ‘humanitarian crisis’ site

3/3 SLIDES

She tried to clarify, as many have done since Harris was appointed border czar last month, that the vice president’s target is to address the ‘root problem’ in Central American countries leading to people fleeing to the U.S. – and not focus on the border crisis in general.

This has led to speculation that the administration is trying to back off Harris’ role as the immigration crisis expands with a record number of migrants arriving at the border every day and images emerging of massively overcrowded detention facilities.

‘I don’t have an update on when she’ll travel,’ Psaki said of the vice president. ‘I’m sure it will happen soon.’

Harris has yet to visit the US-Mexico border or even hold a press conference about her new duties in the two weeks since being tasked with addressing the migrant crisis.

The Vice President spent Easter weekend at her Brentwood home in Southern California where she baked a ‘beautiful’ roast pork with rice and peas, but did not find time in her schedule to visit the nearby border.

In the past two weeks she has also visited Connecticut for a talk with the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven, traveled to Oakland to meet with Governor Gavin Newsom to show support amid his potential recall election, and made a trip to a bakery in Chicago.

Harris has also been busy moving into her new residence at the Naval Observatory just days after she complained about living out of suitcases while it was being renovated.

While visiting the Brown Sugar Bakery, Harris was promoting the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and encouraging people to get vaccinated against coronavirus.

While there, Harris picked up a slice of German chocolate cake and was pictured accepting it from staff.

Despite the joy surrounding her visit from those at the bakery, the Chicago restaurant owners are still waiting for their share of the $28 billion relief for hospitality businesses.

On March 24, Harris was tasked by President Biden with leading the efforts to tackle the ‘humanitarian crisis’ amid a surge of migrants trying to enter the US since Joe Biden ‘s administration came into office. 




© Provided by Daily Mail
On Tuesday Harris traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago where she found time to meet bakers at the Brown Sugar Bakery in where she was presented with cakes




© Provided by Daily Mail
A makeshift camp of migrants sits at the border port of entry leading to the United States in Mexico

New government statistics released last week revealed that 171,000 migrants were caught by U.S. authorities at the border in March – the highest monthly total in two decades.

The total arrivals includes a record 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children and 53,000 family members traveling together, the preliminary figures showed. 

It comes as Biden’s Homeland Security head Alejandroa Mayorkas is looking to crack down on illegal immigration by taking more legal action against border jumpers and targeting U.S. cities that act as a safe haven.

‘I see cases now where we apprehend and remove individuals that I think need to be prosecuted criminally,’ Mayorkas said during a virtual town hall with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees last week where he also revealed President Biden is considering restarting construction on Donald Trump’s border wall.

‘Quite frankly, I’m going to have to understand why some of these individuals are not subject to a Title 8 USC 1326 case and I intend to work with the DOJ in that regard,’ he added.

Entering the U.S. illegally is a misdemeanor under Title 8 Section 1325. Furthermore, reentering the country after being ousted is a felony under Title 8 Section 1326.

Mayorkas told ICE employees that DHS will also take on so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to work with the agency to turn over illegal immigrants hiding out there.

He also vowed during the meeting, according to notes of the conversation reviewed by the Washington Times, that he is opposed to some more progressive immigration and border protection policies, like the push from the far left to totally abolish ICE.

Gallery: Photos show the crowded conditions where migrant kids are being held at the US-Mexico border (Business Insider)

‘I’m 100% opposed to the abolition of ICE,’ he said. ‘It is the opposite of what I think needs to occur. I think we need to strengthen our policies and practices and communicate more effectively what we do and why we do it.’

The March arrest totals at the US-Mexico border represent the highest monthly level since April 2000 when border patrol agents caught more than 180,000 migrants. 

But Harris has stayed publicly silent on the issue and has not held a press conference or major interview about her new duties she was assigned them two weeks ago.

She made time to visit children at the West Haven Child Development Center in Connecticut two days after being appointed the new Border Czar

A migrant boy, who was abandoned in southern Texas after crossing over from Mexico, was recorded on video in tears and asking a U.S. Border Patrol agent for help last Thursday. The child had spent the night in the desert after he was abandoned by the group of migrants he had crossed the border with and feared he would be ‘abducted.’ U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not released the child’s age or nationality

3/3 SLIDES

Kamala’s schedule since becoming ‘Border Czar’ 

March 25 – Washington DC: Virtual Passover

March 26 – New Haven, Connecticut: meeting with Boys and Girls Club and education leaders

March 27-28 – Washington DC: no public commitments

March 29 – Washington DC: Covid briefing and delivering pandemic remarks

March 30 – Washington DC: Signed the PPP extension into law and spoke with Guatemalan President

April 1 – Washington DC/Los Angeles, California: Met with stakeholders before traveling to her Brentwood home

April 2-4 – Los Angeles: At home with no public commitments

April 5 – Oakland, California: Met Gavin Newsom, toured water treatment plant and met business leaders

April 6 – Chicago, Illinois: Toured a Covid vaccination site before returning to Washington DC

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich invited the Vice President on a tour of the border this month in a letter on Friday.

He wrote: ‘Recently, you stated, ‘You have to see and smell and feel the circumstances of people to really understand them.’ With that in mind, I formally invite you to join me for a tour of the southwest border in Arizona later this month.

‘It will provide firsthand insight into what Arizonans, law enforcement officials and migrants are experiencing. I will make myself available any day of your choosing.’  

Shortly after her appointment, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also branded Harris ‘the worst possible choice’ to lead the border team, saying Biden had ‘completely trivialized the issue by putting someone in charge who flat out just doesn’t care’.

Ted Cruz added ‘she is not going to be able to solve this crisis’, branding it Biden’s ‘biggest political mess’.

Biden initially said his vice president would be in charge of returning migrants to their home countries in her new role. 

He said: ‘The vice president has agreed… to lead our diplomatic effort and work with those nations to accept the returnees, and enhance migration enforcement at their borders.’ 

The White House later claimed Harris was not directly involved with the border crisis but was instead addressing its ‘root causes’. 

Her schedule shows that since she was tasked with helping the crisis, she has largely remained in Washington DC.

On March 25, her only public duty was the White House’s virtual Passover celebration with her husband Doug Emhoff, while the following day she visited New Haven, Connecticut, to meet with the Boys and Girls Club.

She spent the weekend in Washington DC with no public commitments, before receiving a Covid briefing and joining Biden for a speech on their pandemic response on the Monday. 

On Tuesday March 30, Harris received the President’s daily brief in the morning before signing the PPP extension into law in the Oval Office.




© Provided by Daily Mail
She spent Easter weekend at her Brentwood home before meeting with Gavin Newsom on Monday in a show of support to the beleaguered California governor




© Provided by Daily Mail
Harris speaks about investing in small businesses using community banking at Red Door Catering in Oakland

Homeland Security chief wants to prosecute MORE illegal immigrants

 DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is looking to crack down on illegal immigration by taking more legal action against border jumpers.

‘I see cases now where we apprehend and remove individuals that I think need to be prosecuted criminally,’ he said in a virtual town hall.

‘Quite frankly, I’m going to have to understand why some of these individuals are not subject to a Title 8 USC 1326 case and I intend to work with the DOJ in that regard,’ he added.

Entering the U.S. illegally is a misdemeanor under Title 8 Section 1325. Furthermore, reentering the country after being ousted is a felony under Title 8 Section 1326.

Mayorkas told ICE employees that DHS will also take on so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to work with the agency to turn over illegal immigrants hiding out there.

He also vowed during the meeting, according to notes of the conversation reviewed by the Washington Times, that he is opposed to some more progressive immigration and border protection policies, like the push from the far left to totally abolish ICE.

She also carried out the only known work related to the border since being appointed Border Czar as she held a phone call with President Alejandro Giammattei of Guatemala. 

So far, 64,000 migrants out of the 350,000 who have been caught by US authorities at the border were Guatemalan.

A statement said: ‘They discussed the significant risks to those leaving their homes and making the dangerous journey to the United States, especially during a global pandemic.’ 

The following day, she led a discussion with faith leaders where she encouraged their communities to take up the vaccine. 

She returned home to California on Thursday, April 1, her third visit during the administration. 

Harris spent the weekend at home where she baked a ‘beautiful’ roast pork with rice and peas, according to the LA Times.

She had no public events over the weekend until she traveled to her hometown of Oakland on Monday where she met with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and gave her support as he faces a potential recall election.

The Vice President toured a water treatment plant to highlight the benefits of the American Jobs Plan and held a ‘listening session’ with business owners.

She said during her visit to the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Upper San Leandro treatment plant, in an area affected by drought: ‘For years there were wars fought over oil. In a short time there will be wars fought over water. 

‘We must address inequities in access to clean water, at local state federal levels, understanding opportunities to build back up infrastructure around water.’

Republican National Committee spokesman Keith Schipper said: ‘It’s been nearly two weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris was named manager of the Biden Border Crisis, and while she has made time to return home to the Bay Area, Harris has refused to visit the border — which is only 500 miles from her location today — to survey the crisis firsthand.

‘Californians don’t find this border crisis funny and demand the so-called manager get to work fixing the problem this administration created.’

On Tuesday, Harris traveled to Chicago where she toured a Covid vaccine site before returning to Washington DC. 




© Provided by Daily Mail
The March arrest totals at the US-Mexico border represent the highest monthly level since April 2000

Upon her return to DC, Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff moved in to their official residence, just days after it emerged she was unhappy about living out of suitcases while it was being renovated.

The Naval Observatory – the VP’s official residence – has been out of action for more than two months while it undergoes much-needed updates. 

The pair had been living at Blair House, across the road from the White House, since January – an arrangement that was reportedly beginning to wear on Harris.

‘She is getting frustrated,’ an administration official told CNN, noting that every day her desire to move into her designated house grows more intense. 

But it seems that she has now had the green light to move into the official property. 

Just days before she was tasked with addressing the migrant crisis, Harris laughed when she was asked if she would visit the border.

She was in Jacksonville to address food insecurity and vaccinations when asked if she had plans to visit the border.

Harris replied laughing: ‘Not today. But I have before and I’m sure I will again.’ 

Read more

Source: Thanks msn.com