Harris says she'll visit Mexico and Guatemala soon

Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters Wednesday that she'll visit Mexico and Guatemala soon — several weeks after President Biden tapped her to lead the administration's efforts to address migration at the southern border by focusing on the Northern Triangle countries and Mexico. 

Harris has been on the receiving end of criticism from Republicans for having not yet traveled to the border or Central American nations contributing to the increased flow of migrants. The number of migrants trying to cross the border has soared in recent months, and some facilities holding migrants are filled far past capacity, despite the still raging pandemic. Reporters recently had a chance to look inside a facility in Donna, Texas, holding 16 times more migrants than its capacity during the pandemic.  It isn't yet clear exactly when Harris will make the trip to Mexico and Guatemala or whether she will visit the border. When Mr. Biden tapped Harris for the role, he said she would be working on "two tracks" — first on the goal of stemming the flow of irregular migrants to the U.S., and establishing a strategic partnership with the nations within her purview.