'She speaks for me': Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris to lead diplomacy in immigration crisis

The United States President Joe Biden on March 24 said that Vice President Kamala Harris “speaks for me” as he appointed her to lead the diplomatic front of controlling the drastic increase of migrants at the US-Mexico border. Biden also noted that he is handing over a “tough job” to Harris to slow the migration at the southern border following a huge influx of new arrivals. However, US President added that the Vice President is also the “most qualified person to do it.” The number of migrants has surged since Biden took the office in January this year. 

“I think the best thing to do is put someone who, when he or she speaks, they don’t have to wonder about, ‘Is that where the president is?’ When she speaks, she speaks for me, doesn’t have to check with me. She knows what she’s doing,” Biden said at a White House event.

While announcing Harris’ appointment at his immigration czar, Biden told the reporters, “She's the most qualified person to do it, to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle [Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador] and the countries that are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks - stemming the migration to our southern border".

‘It’s necessary’ says US Vice President

US Vice President in response to the newly-given responsibility said in a statement that it would be difficult but noted “it’s necessary.” Several people arriving at the US-Mexico border have reportedly fled poverty and violence in Central America. Earlier in an interview with CBS on March 24, Harris had said that there was a need “to deal with the root causes... of what's happening in the Northern Triangle".

"Dealing with what we need to do around aid in a way that is about developing those countries so that we also deal with the cause of why people are coming into our country," she said.

Image credits: AP