Joe Biden delegates migrant border crisis to Kamala Harris, saying: ‘I gave you a tough job’

Ms Harris’s responsibilities will involve diplomatic relations with the Central American countries known as the Northern Triangle

Credit: Shutterstock

Joe Biden has appointed Kamala Harris to lead the White House effort to tackle migration at the US southern border, which the vice president admitted was a “huge problem”.

Ms Harris’ responsibilities will involve diplomatic relations with the Central American countries known as the Northern Triangle — El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — where many of the migrants begin their journey.

The issue has become one of the most pressing for the new administration. Since Mr Biden’s inauguration in late January, the US has seen a dramatic spike in the number of people encountered by border officials.

There were nearly 19,000 family members and 9,297 unaccompanied children encountered in February — an increase of 168 per cent and 63 per cent, respectively, from the month before, according to the Pew Research Center.

Ms Harris, 56, a former attorney general in California, admitted earlier on Wednesday that scenes at the border were concerning, but declined to call it a crisis.

Detainees in a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) temporary overflow facility in Donna, Texas. 

Credit: Office of Rep. Henry Cuellar 

“It’s a huge problem. I’m not gonna pretend it’s not, it’s a huge problem,” she told CBS News. “Are we looking at overcrowding at the border, particularly these kids? Yes. Should these kids be in the custody of HHS, the Health and Human Services, instead of the Border Patrol? Yes. Should we be processing these cases faster? Yes.”

“This is, however, not going to be solved overnight,” she continued.

Ms Harris went on to say she believed the blame for the chaos lay with Donald Trump, the previous US president.

With the move, Mr Biden hopes to show Americans he is taking the border situation seriously after facing stiff criticism from Republicans and some in his own party.

President Joe Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris deliver remarks during a meeting with immigration advisers

Credit: Shutterstock

However, delegating such a high-profile and politically fraught assignment to Ms Harris, who is expected to run for the White House again in the future, will likely put the vice president in the line of criticism.

Ms Harris was one of the strongest voices on immigration in the primary, calling for a more compassionate approach when she ran for the Democratic presidential nomination last year.

"I’ve asked the VP today because she’s the most qualified person to lead our efforts," Mr Biden said of his decision. "I gave you a tough job and I’m glad you’re smiling," he joked.