Exclusive: A Republican congressman representing a district bordering Mexico invited Vice President Kamala Harris, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, to visit him to monitor the crisis.
“For four years, every year, before and after she took on the task of solving the border problem and getting to the root causes, I’ve invited her to the border, and one of the reasons is that from day one of the Biden administration, there’s been a border crisis,” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital.
“But when she was given this position by the president in her second year, she immediately implied that there were three countries where all this was happening, or that those three countries were full of people fleeing crime.”
The move noted that Harris was appointed to address the “root causes” of mass migration from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, a role that has drawn widespread criticism among Republicans as the migrant crisis continues to impact cities across the country.
Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua gives members ‘green light’ to attack police: official
The former House Oversight Committee chairman told Fox News Digital that his experience in his district shows that the immigration problem is broader than just those three countries.
“I wanted her to come and see, because even then we had a very diverse immigrant population coming in from other places, from Romania or Russia or from all over Asia,” the director said.
The director said he does not expect Harris to take up his offer, citing his experience as a California senator who served as director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency in the Trump administration.
Border State Rep Warns Bloodthirsty Venezuelan Gangs Entering US: ‘They Have No Rules’
“When I was a Trump appointee, she never met with me as a hometown senator (the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.),” the director said. “She never took the time to talk across the aisle to a senator or a representative, even to someone from her home state, even about state issues.”
According to the most recent data, while illegal border crossings averaged more than 2,500 per seven-day period, border crossings fell to their lowest point of Biden’s presidency in June, when just under 84,000 migrants crossed between points of entry, after the president signed an executive order restricting most asylum applications.
But Republicans argue the numbers are still too high, and they have continued to blame Biden and Harris for crimes committed against Americans by illegal immigrants this year.
“I’m about 100 miles east of San Diego on the Mexican border, and what we’re seeing and hearing from law enforcement is that there’s an increase in border crime,” the director said.
For additional coverage of the border security crisis, click here.
His latest invitation to Harris comes as former President Trump’s running mate, Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, is scheduled to visit part of the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona on Thursday.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“Republicans don’t agree on everything, but we agree that government is too big, taxes are too high. We believe that laws should be enforced, criminals should be punished, and our borders should be secure,” the board said. “Harris not coming sticks out like a sore thumb. JD coming is to be expected, because … supporting national defense, including border security, is a core tenet of our party.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment but did not hear back by press time.