Vice President Kamala Harris visited El Paso Friday after weeks of criticism by Republicans over her failure to make a stop at the border.
Prior to the Harris visit, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott revived hard-line immigration measures used by the Trump administration.
Abbott has promised to continue building former President Donald Trump's border wall and says law enforcement officers will begin arresting migrants.
Harris said the Biden administration’s focus is on immigration reform.
“Our administration, it is important to be clear, is working to build a fair and a functional and a human immigration system,” said Harris. “We feel very strongly about that. And as you know, we inherited a tough situation. In fact, right here in El Paso was the launch of the child separation policy. You saw it as it rolled out on the ground in real time.”
Governor Abbott is set to return to the border next week with former President Trump. It will be Trump's first visit to the border since he left the White House in January.