Vice Presidential Pool Reports of June 25, 2021

VP Travel Report #1: departure from JBA

Good morning from JBA, where Vice President Kamala Harris is about to leave for El Paso, Texas.

The VP arrived on Marine 2 at 5:56 am EDT. A few minutes before she landed, Sen. Durbin, Secretary Mayorkas and Rep. Escobar deplaned from the front of the aircraft to greet her.

VP Harris appears to be wearing a navy blue suit for the occasion and heels. She shook hands with all three and engaged in several minutes of conversation with her traveling party before boarding AF2 at roughly 6:02 am. She waved at the press at the bottom of the steps but immediately boarded the plane and did not speak to the traveling press. She also waved at the top of the steps. Rep. Escobar boarded with her, following closely behind. Mayorkas and Durbin waited until they had entered the plane before walking up the steps.

We will be wheels up soon for a scheduled 6 amdeparture, and we expect a briefing during the flight that I'll send notes on.

Per the daily guidance, the VP will be visiting the El Paso Border Patrol Station. Then she will meet with advocates from faith-based organizations and shelter and legal service providers at the El Paso International Airport. She is also scheduled to deliver remarks to the press and take questions before departing El Paso for California.

This is her first visit to El Paso, according to the VP's office, but she has made other trips to the border. Among them, per the VP's office: Calexico, CA / Imperial, CA / San Ysidro, CA / San Diego (Otay Mesa), CA

The VP's office also provides this information on the JBA greeters:

- Lt. Col Richard "Rick" Hulun, 89th Maintenance Group Deputy
- Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Homeland
Security
- Chairman Dick Durbin (IL)
- Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

VP Travel Pool Report #2: Arrival and plane briefing

AF2 was wheels down in El Paso at 7:48 AM local time.

Minutes before AF2 landed in El Paso, Symone Sanders and Secretary Mayorkas came back to speak to reporters about the VP's trip. Sanders delivered several minutes of remarks at the top and Mayorkas took three questions before passengers had to take their seats.

Here are the highlights:

Q to Mayorkas about Title 42 and where that process stands, given the abating pandemic, and when a decision could be made:

Mayorkas said it is a public health authority and the "decision whether or not to continue it, and if to continue it how long, is based on the data, the public health data" and the CDC is "reviewing that intensely and consistently" and will make decisions according to the data.

Q to Mayorkas on the review of conditions at the Fort Bliss migrant facility.

Sanders jumped in here to answer. She said Fort Bliss is an HHS facility and the HHS secretary was on local TV in El Paso yesterday talking about it. "The administration is taking this very seriously. Extremely seriously," she said, adding that it is very concerned. She said the president and the vice president "have instructed Secretary Becerra to do a thorough investigation" and come back to them.

Q to Mayorkas on criticism by Republicans of the decision to visit El Paso v. Rio Grande Valley and why it was made.

Mayorkas said he recommended El Paso "because it is one of the busiest sectors" across the border "and it provides the vice president with an opportunity to see the full array" of challenges DHS deals with "and the great work that we do at the border."

More to come.

VP travel pool report #3: motorcading and VP gaggle under the wing

The VP deplaned at roughly 8:02 am local time after her guests, who she went over and spoke to briefly on the tarmac before making short remarks to press.

She and her guests made opening statements and she took a question about why she determined that now was the time to come to the border.

It was very windy on the tarmac and it wasn't possible to hear her entire answer, as she turned to look at press on the opposite side more than once. I'll try to pull as much of what was said as I can.

At roughly 8:15 am local time, the motorcade was on the move from the El Paso airport.

VP Travel Pool Report #4: arrival at CBP facility and Harris Q and A

In response to the question about why she's making her first trip to the border now, the vice president said: "Well, it's not my first trip. I've been to the border many times."

Q: as vice president, as the person in charge of the response.

"The important aspect of this visit" is making it after the work that she said she did in Mexico and Guatemala. "But the reality of it is that we have to deal with causes, and we have to deal with the effects."

She said that being in Mexico and Guatemala was about "addressing the causes" and this visit is about "looking at the effects of what we have seen happening in Central America."

"So I'm glad to be here. It was always the plan to come here. And I think we're going to have a good and productive day."

As the motorcade turned into the Border Patrol facility, a group of pro-Trump protesters was spotted holding signs that pool only caught a quick glimpse of.

Press was rushed to the entrance of a building at the facility and are awaiting the VP at 8:29 am local time.

The VP's office also passes along the following:

ON BACKGROUND

Today the Vice President is in El Paso, Texas to visit the U.S.-Mexico border. She’s joined by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Senator Durbin, and Congresswoman Escobar. This visit builds on the Vice President’s diplomatic work towards Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
This also builds on the Vice President’s previous visits to the border on multiple occasions, where she has toured several stretches of the border and convened meetings of local and state officials at the border.
While in El Paso today, the Vice President will tour the El Paso Central Processing Center. She will do a walking tour of the facility and receive an operational briefing that will cover the operations of the facility, latest advancements in technology, and their efforts to combat transnational crime.
The Vice President will also hold a conversation with advocates from faith-Based NGOs, and Shelter and Legal Service Providers. She will listen to their insight on the root causes driving migration decisions of their clients, and thank them for their work to help to build a fair and humane immigration system.
As she said during her trip to Guatemala and Mexico, what happens at the border matters and is directly connected to the work she is doing to address the root causes of migration: poverty, corruption, violence and a climate crisis.
El Paso represents larger border dynamics – critical part of understanding human experience of immigration. It’s a vibrant border city, with three major ports of entry. Additionally, there are a significant number of migrants arriving.
This trip will also shed a spotlight on the Administration’s work to build a fair, humane, orderly immigration system.

VP’s Record on Immigration

• Vice President Harris has spent her career fighting for immigrants. As Attorney General and U.S. Senator, she has worked on these issues from a border state with the largest undocumented immigrant population.
• In the U.S. Senate, then Sen. Kamala Harris held the Trump administration accountable for cruel and inhumane policies, and mismanagement of our immigration system.
  • She led efforts to push back on family separation.
    • She was one of the first Senators to ask questions on family separation policy -- starting in March 2017. She consistently pressed DHS officials on this policy throughout her time in the Senate.
    • She introduced legislation to reunify families (REUNITE Act).
  • She fought for Dreamers.
    • Her first year in the Senate she was an original cosponsor of the Dream Act (now referred to as the American Dream and Promise Act)
    • In January 2017, during DHS Secretary-designee John Kelly’s nomination hearings, she asked about whether he would uphold the DACA program, and questioned him about the use of law enforcement resources to target and deport Dreamers – which he declined to answer.
    • In November 2017, during the nomination hearing for DHS Secretary-designee Kirstjen Nielsen she asked her whether she would commit to not conducting immigration enforcement against DACA recipients or use their information for immigration enforcement. Nielsen replied that as Secretary of the DHS she would not do either.
• As Attorney General, the Vice President undertook new initiatives to combat transnational criminal organizations and support migrant children.
  • She led a bipartisan delegation of State AGs to Mexico in 2014 to fight TCOs.
  • As AG, she worked with local advocates to marshal legal services for Central American migrant families and unaccompanied minors.
• And now, the Vice President is undertaking the important work of addressing the root causes of migration – focusing on giving people a sense of hope.

VP Travel Pool Report #5: walking tour of CBP facility

VP Harris entered the facility with her traveling party at 8:30 am local time. Everyone wore masks, including press, at the facility where the VP and guests were mainly at a distance from reporters. Their voices were largely muffled by masks, but Harris could be heard thanking a group of agents, whose hands she went down a line and shook.

A female agent and a group of male agents are briefing the group now. Appropriations and medical costs came up in the initial discussion that took place outside. The VP asked a number of questions of the agents, but it's not clear from a distance exactly what.

The female agent told the VP that El Paso is a "very vibrant city" during the conversation, and an agent told the officials that they are working on a plan to get up to 100 percent vehicle scanning.

At 8:41 am local time, the group continued on its tour, out of view of the press. They reappeared at an intake center within the central processing center at 8:45 am local time.

When Harris walked in, she asked an agent working on a computer, "how are you" and can you "show me what you're doing." Among the other questions she asked was "which database are you using for that" before walking closer to press.

"Thank you, thank you," she told an agent working at the second desk she stopped at. It was still a strain to hear but he told her they are trying to lessen paperwork with new technology. He described to her how the new technology they are using has cut down on work for agents and intake processing time.

"I would imagine it also increases the accuracy," Harris said. "Can I take a look at the files?"

"We're moving at lightspeed," another agent said. He told Harris that a working group continues to move forward, so that they can get placements much faster. He said it's meant to be a "one stop shop."

The female agent explained they're the ones who schedule immigration judges.

"This is a game changer for us when it comes to processing, and when it comes to the flow of people," one of the agents said.

The VP said they have made "incredible advances" in a short time, and congratulated them on the effort.

The first male agent then told her that it all takes funding.

At 8:52 am media were led out of the area and brought back to the press vans, where pool is currently holding.

More background from the VP's office.

Participants at the El Paso Central Processing Center

- The Vice President
- Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Homeland
Security
- Chairman Dick Durbin
- Rep. Veronica Escobar
- Gloria Chavez, Chief Patrol Agent of the El Paso Sector
- Walter "Neil" Slosar, Acting Deputy Chief Agent of the El Paso
Sector
- Ivan Lechuga, Acting Patrol Agent in Charge of the El Paso
Sector
- Clayton Thomas, Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge of the El Paso
Sector
- Matthew Davies, Executive Director, Admissibility and
Passenger Programs
- Andrew Douglas, Acting Port Director
- Sam Cleaves, Assistant Port Director

VP Pool Report #6: departure from CBP facility -- unannounced port of entry stop

The vice president at about 9:20 am local time came out of the facility.

Pool dashed from the vans to catch her departure and saw her speaking to port of entry agents and CBP agents but it was not possible to hear what they were telling her.

*The vice president is now making a previously unannounced trip to a port of entry.*

Per the VP's office: "We are heading to Paso del Norte (PDN) Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas. On the stop, she will tour an area for screening of asylum applicants as they enter from Mexico, view a secondary processing area for migrants, and inspect an outdoor vehicle inspection area used to screen vehicles crossing the border for illegal goods or activities.
The Paso del Norte Port of Entry is one of the country’s busiest pedestrian border crossings. It is located on the Paso Del Norte International Bridge. Thousands of people cross the border through the Port each day."

While the VP was inside the CBP facility her office says she met with 5 young girls ages 9-16. Pool was not present for this interaction, the following is per the VP's office.

"While inside, the VP met with 5 young girls ages 9-16, from Central America. They drew pictures for her and they told the VP what they wanted to be when they grow up."

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Doubling back to the gaggle under the wing, the vice president said, at the top, "Hi everyone" and added, "It's good to be back in Texas."

Harris said she was "honored" to be joined by Mayorkas, Durbin and Escobar. She said the day would "be about as much as anything addressing the effects of what I've already been addressing," which is the root causes of migration from Central America.

She reiterated her view that migrants don't want to leave home, and when they do "they are fleeing some type of harm" or other reasons ( which she stated but pooler could not hear in the wind.)

Harris said they are here today to talk about "what has brought people to the U.S. border."

She introduced Mayorkas after that. The DHS secretary said that the "vice president is leading our nation's efforts to address the root causes" and the "fundamental question of why people leave their homes."

"My responsibilities as secretary of homeland security are to address security management of our border."

"As everyone knows, we faced significant challenges back in March, we've made extraordinary progress. I look forward to sharing with the vice president the progress we've made."

As always, please endeavor to check quotes against video or a transcript because today especially it has been extremely hard for pool to hear.

VP Travel Pool Report #7: at the border

At 9:40 the motorcade arrived at the Paso del Norte (PDN) Port of Entry.

An agent told press we are officially at the border.

The VP was out of sight for much of her visit.

Harris appeared at 9:55 am, walking down a hallway amid her briefing.

An agent told her the area she was in is for unaccompanied children. He showed her pictures, which he said were from 2016.

She asked "when did things improve" and he told her they began to get better in 2018 and improved even more in 2019.

He later said at the processing center they are comparing information to past visa applications and other documents on file.

'We're always looking for areas to improve," he said.

At one point Harris told Mayorkas, "Mr. Secretary, you're doing a great job."

Press were led out as the second agent was showing Harris a temporary area for children that he said was "only good for a few hours."

Pool caught her exit, though, at 10:01 am local time when the VP and her guests went to exit the facility.

We're headed back

VP Travel Pool Report #8: holding for roundtable --- more on Harris' migrant conversation

At about 10:20 am local time the motorcade arrived back at the airport. Pool is currently holding in a hallway.

The VP's office has in the meantime sent along the following:

"More color on the VP meeting with children:

Children asked VP - "how did you get so far?" and said "you're an example to us" VP responded with advice:

• to read a lot, like math, work hard
• make good choices and make good friends that lift you up
• never listen to anyone who says you can't do something

VP asked them:

• what do you want to be when you grow up?

Answers: veterinarian, police officer to keep people safe, civil engineer, doctor and wants to open her own clinic to heal people

Children asked her:

• what advice would you give us to accelerate in life?

VP shared: work hard, study, dream, and hope"

==========

Separately.. ..

H/T to Dallas Morning News for sending along sign photos that show demonstrators from today. The signs appeared to be professionally printed.

One said in all caps: "Kamala do you hear their screams?"

Another said, in all caps: "Que Mala Harris for human trafficking"

Also in all caps a sign said: "Que Mala hates Mexicans"

One said in all caps: "Kamala, you know Trump won."

VP Travel Pool Report #9: roundtable

At 10:35 AM local time, the vice president began going around the table thanking attendees.

She said she wants to have a "candid" conversation and again mentioned her work on the "root causes." She said she wants to hear what they view as the reasons migrants arrive and anything else they have on their minds.

She said that El Paso is the site of the "launch" of the child separation program and commented on the "broken asylum system," as well as family reunification, which she said Mayorkas has helped to expedite.

Harris talked about deliverables from her meetings in Guatemala and Mexico, including the MOU with Mexico.

"I approach our work with two principles: one that most people do not want to leave home," she said, adding that when they do it is to flee harm or because staying means they cannot satisfy the basic needs of their family.

Her second principle was the capacity to give people "hope." She said it is important to her and the president to not only maintain access but provide a role for the leaders at the table to participate.

At the end she said she was about to quote scriptue, but pooler didn't catch the exact verse.

"I'll see you later," she told press.

The spray lasted a little under 7 seven minutes.

Pool is now holding in a hangar, where a podium with the VP's seal is set up. We are awaiting the conclusion of her roundtable.

Background on the roundtable from the VP's office:

Info on the roundtable - The Vice President is meeting with faith and community leaders who are assisting with the processing of migrants seeking asylum and local service providers to discuss their experiences working with this population and the root causes that drive them to leave their homes in Central America.

Participants at the Roundtable with Community Leaders

• Alejandro "Ali" Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security
• Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
• Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16thDistrict, El Paso)
• Bishop Mark J. Seitz, Sixth Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso
• Linda Rivas, Executive Director of the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center
• Taylor Levy, Immigration Attorney
• Marisa Limón Garza, Deputy Director of the Hope Border Institute
• Dylan Corbett, Executive Director of the Hope Border Institute
• Ruben Garcia, Shelter Director at Annunciation House
• Melissa Lopez, Executive Director of Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Service
• Anilu Chadwick, Managing Attorney for the Emergency Intake Shelter at Ft. Bliss
• Fernando Garcia, Executive Director for Border Network for Human Rights

VP Travel Pool Report #10: VP is speaking

At 11:50 am local time the vice president began delivering remarks. This should be airing live on television. I'll send additional color as soon as possible but her traveling party is standing behind her, from left to right: Mayorkas, Durbin and Escobar.

VP Travel Pool Report #11: VP departs & wrap

Vice President Harris wrapped her news conference and remarks after about 20 minutes. CSPAN appears to have taken it live, but please let me know if you need any clarification.

Immediately after wrapping, Harris walked to the plane, where she said goodbye to the lawmakers and Mayorkas. She also took a photo with members of the pool before boarding AF2. She's headed to California after this; the pool is not traveling with her.

Harris waved at the top of the steps and entered the plane. She took off at 12:28 pmlocal time.

Here is a folder I'll be adding photos to for those who want visuals:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lxpe5umgk72103x/AABkrUWHSLlH6gtpbEfq8clCa?dl=0

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Other outstanding information:

Symone Sanders at the beginning of her gaggle on the plane gave an overview of the VP's schedule as it was listed on the daily guidance.

She mainly repeated comments she and the VP made before/later but wanted to send a few additional lines along. "She and the president care about what's happening at the border, and that is why she is here today in El Paso. El Paso represents larger border dynamics. It is a critical part of understanding the process," Sanders said.

She also said the trip would put a spotlight on the administration's work "across the board to build a fair, humane and orderly immigration system."

"The administration inherited a broken, gutted, immigration system, inhumane system. And since President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken office, they have worked very diligently to address immigration at every single level, to establish legal pathways, restore an orderly, humane and fair system and means to apply for asylum," Sanders said.

If anyone needs a full answer from Mayorkas from the Q and A on the plane or Sanders please let me know.

============

Earlier on the tarmac, pooler asked Sen. Dick Durbin if he had a chance to speak to Harris on the flight to El Paso about potentially including a pathway to citizenship in the budget reconciliation bill that Democrats are working on.

"That didn't come up," he said.

==============

More background from the VP's office on the port of entry briefers that were on her tour:

Briefing her will be Sam Cleaves, Assistant Port Director

And other tour guides at Port besides Sam Cleaves:

Andrew Douglas, Acting Port Director
Matthew Davies, Executive Director