
Vice President Kamala Harris discouraged would-be migrants from making the trek to the United States during her trip to Guatemala on Monday. It's her first trip abroad as vice president, and she's tasked with leading U.S. diplomatic efforts in the region to stem the flow of migrants to the southern border.
"I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border," Harris said during a press conference with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei Monday. "Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border."
Harris said of her meeting with Giammattei earlier in the day that the two discussed the root causes of migration, particularly the lack of economic opportunity for many in Guatemala. It's in the U.S. interest to help create economic opportunity for Guatemalans, she said, even as she discouraged illegal immigration to the U.S.