Opinions expressed in editorials on The Central Trend are the view of the individual writer and are not the opinion of the entire staff of  The Central Trend or the Forest Hills Central staff or administration.

The first female, Black, and South Asian American Vice President, Kamala Harris, is the face of the Biden administration’s failed immigration policies—of crisis.

But the real issue lies in this question: is Harris the problem, or are the issues she was assigned a setup for failure? She entered office with a visible lack of White House experience, which means that a beginning struggle would be a given. Along with this, many expect the “historical pick for Vice President” to be actively making history, but this inherently doesn’t happen overnight.  

It seems, nonetheless, that not all of Harris’s failures fall onto outside circumstances, but rather she may not be making the necessary effort to succeed in carrying out her duties. Harris has missed a notable number of meetings, hosted by Biden, with key lawmakers, while seeming to pick-and-choose when she will show up. While Republicans, among other racist and sexist comments, point to this glaring flaw, her aids point to an alleged 150 “engagements” that occurred with Senate and House Representatives in their home states.

Besides these facts, many supporters and confidants of Harris argue that she is simply not being put into positions to lead. A tangible policy that is often used as an example of this is the voting rights issue she was assigned. In her defense, the progression of this issue has been slowed in part due to Biden’s heavy focus on passing his own personal domestic policies in accordance with his political agenda.

In a nod to immigration, the border crisis is, at this point, a lose-lose catastrophe—a situation with no ethical, social, or political solution that will please, well, really anyone. At the beginning of the administration’s election, unaccompanied minors flocked the border and knocked government resources out in a quick, overwhelming flood that they were nowhere near prepared for. In retrospect, this was a politically losing assignment right from the very start.

This was the same job that Obama decided to assign to Biden during their administration, so it would make sense for Biden to pass on the same to his Vice President pick. That being said, it could be Harris’s loyalty to Biden, despite past political clashes, that could be her downfall.

It’s no secret that Harris has been set up to be the next democratic nominee for President of the United States, especially since, because of his age and approval rating, it is unlikely that Biden will be running again for the executive position. But Harris’s mid-term polls are revealing her approval rating to be dipping below Biden’s, which, as of January 20, 2022, show a 43% approval rate for the President and 38% for Harris.

It is highly unlikely for these numbers to grow, much less fluctuate significantly higher. And change outside of ratings is stagnant and may very well remain so without the passing of a voting rights bill, which remains unsuccessful, partially because of the filibuster. Any immigration policy change and problem resolution remains unlikely as well, due to the lack of movement from the administration on this pressing issue, which is reflected in Biden’s 36% approval rating by the nation for the handling of immigration.