Vice President Kamala Harris’ past is back to haunt her after it was recalled how she fought to allow illegal immigrants the so-called "rights" to obtain law licenses.
In 2012, then-California's Attorney General Harris supported a bid by an illegal alien, Sergio Garcia, to have a license to practice law-- a move that the Obama Administration strongly opposed.
Garcia, 35, had been living in the United States illegally after moving from Mexico to California when he was 17. He was fighting a court battle, eventually reaching the state Supreme Court when Harris got wind of it. She filed an amicus brief supporting the illegal immigrant’s request to be an attorney, arguing that the government could not block him from doing so.
“No law or policy prevents this court from admitting Garcia to the State Bar," Harris’ office wrote. “In fact, admitting Garcia to the Bar would be consistent with state and federal policy that encourages immigrants, both documented and undocumented, to contribute to society.”
“It is not a crime either to be present or to work in the United States without immigration status, and Garcia has never been charged with the crime of unlawful entry," Harris’ office continued in its brief. "In fact, Garcia has been forthright about his immigration status with federal officials and has been approved for a visa when one becomes available."
However, the Obama Administration said it would violate the 1996 federal immigration law, which prohibits the “court from issuing a law license to an unlawfully present alien.”
Garcia ultimately succeeded and became the first illegal immigrant to practice law in California after legislation passed that allowed individuals to be licensed regardless of immigration status.
Harris also awarded him the Medal of Valor despite not being a legal U.S. citizen.
In 2019, the vice president opposed the Obama Administration once more after she spoke out against deportations for illegal immigrants who haven't committed any crimes— despite illegally crossing the southern border.
“On this issue, I disagreed with my president because the policy was to allow deportation of people who by ICE's own definition were non-criminals,” she said at the time. “So as attorney general and the chief law officer of the state of California, I issued a directive to the sheriffs of my state that they did not have to comply with detainers and instead should make decisions based on the best interests of public safety of their community.”
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