Kamala Harris' 'border czar' controversy resurfaces to haunt her campaign

Kamala Harris faces renewed scrutiny as her previous role in handling the border crisis becomes a campaign issue.

Kamala Harris being called "border czar" has sparked controversy as multiple media outlets, including Axios, now insist she never held that title. 

Despite this, Harris was tasked early in the Biden administration with addressing the root causes of mass migration from Central and South America. This responsibility has become a focal point for GOP attacks as states grapple with the migrant crisis.

The Border Czar doesn’t know anything about the border. An illegal alien is a criminal. pic.twitter.com/HtDJtW9GOi

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 24, 2024

As Harris moves towards the Democratic presidential nomination, media outlets have challenged the "border czar" label used by Republicans, arguing it is unfair to blame her for the complex issue of illegal immigration. Axios faced criticism for contradicting its own past reporting. Reporter Stef Kight wrote, "The Trump campaign and Republicans have tagged Harris repeatedly with the ‘border czar’ title — which she never actually had."

If you type hashtag “border czar” this picture pops up.

Try it pic.twitter.com/3ZKYdc1C5y

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 24, 2024

Critics pointed out that Axios reported in 2021 that Harris was "appointed by Biden as border czar" and had a headline stating, "Biden puts Harris in charge of border crisis." In response, Axios updated its story, acknowledging it "incorrectly" referred to her as a border czar in the past.