White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris’s focus “is not on the border” but working “on a diplomatic level" to address the migrant crisis.
The comments came in response to a question from Fox News’s Peter Doocy, who asked about remarks Harris recently made. The vice president claimed she hadn’t taken any trips related to the crisis because “we have to deal with COVID issues.” Doocy wondered what she meant by that.
“Well, I would certainly have to ask her team about that specifically, but I would tell you also that her focus is not on the border; it’s on addressing the root causes in the Northern Triangle,” Psaki said. “And that’s why the majority of her time has been spent on working with — on a diplomatic level.”
Psaki added that Harris is working with Mexico and Guatemala to “ensure there are systems put in place to reduce the amount of migration coming from these countries, but also to address the root causes. And that’s really what the president has asked her to do.”
She also suggested security concerns may factor into the White House’s decision not to go to a border facility.
"If a president or a vice president goes down and visits a facility like this, you have to potentially clear some parts out. There's a lot of security that comes. Our focus here is on solutions, on making progress, on moving these kids out of facilities," Psaki said.
Doocy also wondered why copies of the vice president's children's book, “Superheroes are Everywhere," were being given to kids at a shelter in Long Beach, California.
"Do you know why that is and if she is making any money off of that?" he asked.
"I’d have to certainly check on that," she replied. "I hear it’s a good book."
‘Her focus is not on ‘the border,’ it’s on addressing the root causes in the northern triangle’ — Watch Jen Psaki respond to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy’s question about VP Harris and immigration pic.twitter.com/TlOgUCJPrf
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 26, 2021
On Sunday, Harris said during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" that "most people don’t want to leave home and when they do, it’s usually for one of two reasons."
"They’re fleeing some harm or they cannot stay and satisfy the basic necessities of life,” she added.
“I look at the issue of what’s going on in the Northern Triangle from that perspective,” Harris continued. “And then my take on it is that we’ve got to understand that. We have to give people some sense of hope that if they stay that help is on the way.”