ATL Standard

Leah Edwards, a Monroe resident and member of the Cathedral of Christ the King parish, said Vice President Kamala Harris' plan to close immigration detention centers would "only cause more problems."

“I believe it would only cause more problems and create more of an influx of illegal immigrants,” Edwards said. “I think this is a terrible idea to close the detention centers. I teach school, and most of my students are immigrants, but they are all legal. Kamala is a radical. I like what J.D. Vance said about starting by focusing on deporting those who have committed crimes. I think this will lead to self-deportation.”

At a recent campaign event, a member of the audience asked Kamala Harris, “I want to know, when you become president, would you be committing to close the immigration detention centers?”

To which Harris responded, “Absolutely, on day one. On day one.”

Harris has supported a political agenda that would allow illegal immigrants to come into the country without repercussions, impacting the economy, the workforce, housing availability, and diverting tax money away from U.S. citizens.

Immigration detention centers exist to “protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those noncitizens who undermine the safety of our nation’s communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws.”

Under Harris’ watch, migrant crossings have reached an all time high; with 250,000 migrants crossing the southern border in December of 2023. The previous record was 224,000 in May of 2022, also under the Biden-Harris Administration. 

Since March of 2021, people have been referring to Harris as the “border czar” after President Biden appointed her to oversee the Biden Administration’s efforts at our southern border. 

“I’ve asked her, the VP, today, because she’s the most qualified person to do it, to lead our efforts with Mexico and the northern triangle … in stemming the migration to our southern border,” stated Biden, who sat beside Kamala Harris, both wearing masks.