Republican Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty sent a Friday letter to Vice President Kamala Harris describing his recent trip to both Mexico and Guatemala and offered to brief her before her trip in June.
In the letter first obtained by the Daily Caller, Hagerty told Harris he is glad she will be headed to Mexico and Guatemala to address the border crisis and explained what he did on his trip to both countries in early May. Hagerty said he met with the president of Guatemala and Mexico’s economy secretary.
“I’m glad to hear that you will be traveling to Guatemala and Mexico in June. I recently briefed the Deputy Secretary of State regarding my visit and would be glad to brief you on what I learned before you depart. Illegal migration, drug trafficking, and human trafficking pose severe challenges to all of our nations,” Hagerty wrote in the letter.
“But if the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, and other neighbors are willing to work boldly together to promote the rule of law and secure our borders with an eye toward increasing the flow of foreign investment, improving infrastructure, and leveraging the re-shoring and near-shoring of supply chains from China to create dignified jobs for our respective peoples, we can end the ongoing migration crisis and create a much brighter future. I wish you well on your trip and look forward to discussing these important matters with you,” he continued.
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
In April, Harris said she will soon take a trip to Mexico and Guatemala to address the causes of migration in the Northern Triangle. The trip, which is scheduled for June 7 and 8, will be the first time either President Joe Biden or Harris will visit a foreign country since entering office.
Harris made the announcement when asked by the Daily Caller if and when she plans to visit the southern border, as Biden put her in charge to lead the administration’s response to the border crisis. (RELATED: Vice President Harris To Visit Mexico And Guatemala To Address Root Causes Of Northern Triangle Migration)
“The President has asked Sec. Mayorkas to address what is going on at the border,” Harris said in response to the Daily Caller’s question. “I have been asked to address the root causes.” (RELATED: ANALYSIS: Here’s What Kamala Harris Has Been Doing In The 22 Days She Hasn’t Visited The Border)
Harris announced Thursday that 12 private companies and organizations have committed to invest in the Northern Triangle, The Wall Street Journal first reported. The private sector investments will go to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, according to the report. Microsoft is planning to expand internet access to around 3 million people in the area by July 2022.
“The border crisis is the most urgent national security and economic problem we face as a nation. The surge has had the effect of turning every town into a border town, as I’ve seen in my home state of Tennessee where local law enforcement tell me that we’re seeing a surge of drug overdose deaths as a result of our porous border,” Hagerty told the Daily Caller after sending the letter.
“In my meetings with Guatemalan and Mexican leaders, I was told that the border crisis is a direct result of the open borders messaging coming from Washington, which coyotes turn into marketing materials to prey on vulnerable people and convince them to turn over their life savings to make the journey north. It is heartbreaking on both sides of the border. The only solution is to secure the border and put an end to this crisis,” Hagerty added.
The Daily Caller contacted Harris’ office about Hagerty’s letter to see if she would have a conversation with him about the trip, to which they did not immediately respond.