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Kamala Harris’ 'do not come' remarks to Guatemalan migrants slammed: 'Tone-deaf VP'

'There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations,' the VP said

Vice President Kamala Harris has received a lot of flak on the internet for her “do not come” remark directed at Guatemalan migrants at a press conference on Monday, June 7, besides from Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala's president. The 56-year-old had a bilateral meeting with Giammattei and after that, she delivered a speech, where she said, “I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home. At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come.”

She continued, “The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border. There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.”

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But her comment was taken in a bad light as people started slamming her on Twitter. A user posted, “Even if you like Kamala Harris, you got to admit that it's pretty messed up to be welcomed into someone else's country and deliver a speech that says ‘stay the f**k out of the US’. Why would you do that?” “While Kamala Harris was giving her speech in Guatemala, I was thinking of all the undocumented immigrants who died of COVID-19 while processing meat & working other ‘essential’ jobs in the US during the pandemic,” another user mentioned and the third added, “Hear Kamala Harris' tone in the 2 parts of the video...A desperate politician trying hard to persuade with a soft voice & one high off power with little or no regard for implications..'Do not come'.”

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. America is a golden door, a dream of a better world. It's open to all, especially those fleeing hell. Turning away those in need is a sin, in all contexts, in all situations. We're better than this,” a tweet read. Another post stated, “Disappointed to see our VP being tone-deaf. People are not fleeing Sandals for Club Med. The fact that people are willing to embark on a dangerous, uncertain trek ought to tell her SOMETHING about the certain, daily hell they’re escaping from. It’s not a choice! It’s survival!”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known popularly as AOC, also condemned Harris’ “do not come” statement. She tweeted, “This is disappointing to see. First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can’t help set someone’s house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.”

The New York congresswoman also noted, “It would be helpful if the US would finally acknowledge its contributions to destabilization and regime change in the region. Doing so can help us change US foreign policy, trade policy, climate policy, & carceral border policy to address causes of mass displacement & migration.”

Meanwhile, on Monday, Harris also admitted that she won’t be visiting the southern border anytime soon. She stated, “On the issues of Republicans' political attacks or criticism or even concerns, the reason I am here in Guatemala as my first trip as vice president of the United States is because this is one of our highest priorities. I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,” before adding, “And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.”