'Against election purposes': Critics challenge Harris' assertion of enforcing laws at southern border.

During her first interview since being named the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris reversed her stance on prosecuting illegal border crossings.

During her interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash on Thursday, Harris was asked about her stance on prosecuting illegal border crossings, which she had opposed during her 2019 presidential campaign.

"Harris stated to Bash that there should be consequences for those who cross the border illegally. He emphasized that there are laws in place that must be followed and enforced. Furthermore, Harris highlighted his experience as a prosecutor of transnational criminal organizations that deal in guns, drugs, and human trafficking. He also mentioned his service as attorney general in a border state, where he enforced laws. Lastly, Harris promised to enforce laws as president."

On Thursday, Harris' remarks differed from her previous statements and actions regarding illegal immigration, particularly with regards to illegal border crossings.

In a 2015 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Kamala Harris stated that an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal. She also expressed this viewpoint during a nationally televised debate in 2016 and reiterated it in a 2019 conversation with Meghan McCain on "The View." Additionally, Harris posted this claim on social media.

"She stated that it should be handled as a civil enforcement matter rather than a criminal one, and not result in imprisonment."

As a U.S. senator, Harris aimed to remove funding from ICE, and as California's attorney general, she directed local law enforcement not to comply with ICE detainers when they requested the release of individuals who had committed crimes and crossed the border illegally.

Harris has also compared ICE to the Ku Klux Klan.

Two conservative immigration law experts deemed Planet Chronicle Digital's comments as "insincere" and "for election purposes."

According to Gene Hamilton, director of America First Legal, a right-wing legal group founded by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, if someone truly cares about enforcing our laws regarding the border, they would be a part of and lead an administration that prosecutes enough offenses related to unlawfully crossing the border.

"The number of border-related offenses being prosecuted by the Department of Justice has reached its lowest point in years, even lower than during the Obama administration."

The former counselor to the attorney general at the Department of Justice under President Trump contended that a crucial indicator of an administration's commitment to border security is the ratio of illegal border crossings to the number of individuals deported.

According to Hamilton, the Department of Justice reported 2.4 million illegal border crossings last year.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department prosecuted around 20,000 of those violations.

Hamilton contended that the numbers themselves reveal the situation, stating that in 2019, under Trump, there were fewer illegal border crossings than in 2023, yet the Trump administration still prosecuted more than five times the number of illegal border crossers than the Biden-Harris administration in 2023.

"Lora Ries, the director of the Heritage Foundation's Border Security and Immigration Center, stated in her interview last night that her values have not changed. She emphasized this point multiple times, saying, "I am telling my base, 'Look, don't worry about what the campaign is saying right now. We just have to say that to try and get elected. But my values have not changed.'""

The Biden-Harris administration was criticized by Ries for "gaslighting" the American public, while the Harris campaign was accused of taking it to another level by denying her role as the border czar and pretending she lacks the power to implement stricter border measures.

"Ries stated that if she truly meant what she was doing, she would do it now, but she's not. However, pretending not to be in power and not in office right now is a higher level of gaslighting. He believes this is only for election purposes."

Hamilton echoed that statement, calling Harris' comments Thursday "insincere."

The Harris campaign did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's repeated requests for comment.