Flashback: Harris tried to defund Border Patrol agents, slash ICE budget

Then-Sen. Kamala Harris, in 2018, pushed her colleagues in the Senate to reject a request by the Trump administration for more funding for immigration detention beds and Border Patrol agents.

In a letter to senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee in 2018, Harris and other senators called for them to "reject President Trump’s FY 19 funding request for a costly and ineffective border wall, new Border Patrol agents, and a large increase in U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel and detention beds."

"We urge you to reduce funding for the administration’s reckless immigration enforcement operations that are tearing families apart and harming our economy."

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The letter highlights that under the Trump administration, arrests of those with no criminal background tripled. Specifically, the letter calls for the committee to reduce funding levels for ICE beds.

"In line with our deep concern about the administration’s embrace of indiscriminate enforcement, we urge the Committee to reduce funding for beds in the federal immigration detention system," they say, citing limited oversight and "inhumane conditions."

In addition to calling on the committee to reject border wall funding, they called for the committee "to reject President Trump’s proposal for funding to hire new Border Patrol personnel at this time."

The lawmakers argue that the Border Patrol workforce is smaller than authorized. They say that instead of increasing the size of Border Patrol, agents should be supported with "retention incentives, enhanced training and improved guidance" to enhance public safety.

They also say that funds that may be used to arrest and deport "Dreamers" — illegal immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children — should not be appropriated.

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The letter contrasts with parts of a bipartisan Senate package that Harris and the Biden administration support — and have attacked Republicans for failing to support. That bill brought together increased funding for border operations with a mechanism to restrict border crossings if they reach a certain level. In a fact sheet on that bill released this year, the White House says the agreement includes over $20 billion for border security.

"Border Patrol staffing has remained roughly flat over the last four years, despite border encounters increasing by 250 percent over the same period. Today, there are just shy of 20,000 Border Patrol Agents. The bipartisan Senate bill would add more than 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection personnel," it says.

Meanwhile, that agreement would also dramatically expand the number of ICE detention beds.

"ICE detention facilities are currently over capacity. Today, ICE has approximately 40,000 detention beds. The bipartisan Senate agreement would increase detention beds to a total of 50,000. Moreover, without immediate action from Congress DHS will need to move funding to ICE from other critical missions or reduce ICE’s enforcement operations to manage a shortfall of several hundred million dollars," it said.

There are significant differences in policy between the administrations, however. The Biden administration has dramatically narrowed immigration enforcement to focus only on public safety threats and national security threats, limiting what critics said was indiscriminate enforcement under the Trump administration.

Additionally, it has provided legal pathways to enter the U.S., including by allowing 1,500 people per day via the CBP One app at ports of entry, and 30,000 nationals from four countries to fly in via the same parole system.

However, the administration has been deeply critical of Republicans for not backing the deal, saying that to fix the ongoing crisis they need additional funding and significant immigration reform from Congress.

"This agreement on border security and immigration does not include everything we have fought for over the past three years — and we will continue to fight for these priorities — but it shows: we can make the border more secure while preserving legal immigration, consistent with our values as a nation," Harris said in a statement.

Republicans have rejected that narrative, saying that the border was secured despite Democratic efforts, and that the Biden administration has created chaos by unwinding those Trump-era efforts.

"Working together with crooked Joe Biden, Kamala Harris supported a radical left policy of nationwide catch and release, halting all deportations, ending remain in Mexico so important, shredding my Safe Third agreement, stopping the wall construction," former President Trump said this week on a press call.

Trump contrasted his policies on border security with those of the administration. Just as the Biden administration ended many of his policies after taking office, he pledged to scrap Biden's policies if he is elected.

"So I will terminate every open-border policy of the Biden Harris administration. On day one, I will seal the border, stop the invasion, and keep America safe," he said.

Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.