Harris torn over surfaced video of him vowing to close migrant detention center

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris came under fire again on Monday when an old video surfaced in which she promised to close detention centers for illegal immigrants.

The clip, from 2019, when Harris was running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, went viral when she pledged in her campaign to secure the border if she became president.

The footage shows an attendee at an event asking Harris, “I want to know if you become president, will you close the immigration detention centers?”

“Absolutely, on day one,” Harris replied. “On day one.”

ARIZONA KAMALA HARRIS RALLY SPEAKERS COURT ‘JOHN MCCAIN REPUBLICANS’ AS MAN BRINGS VP BORDER MAP

Democratic presidential candidate (and U.S. Vice President-elect) Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) speaks at the National Forum on Wages and Working People: Creating an Economy That Works for All in Enclave, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 27, 2019. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris has taken a harder line on immigration and has distanced herself from her previous positions on the issue.

“I was attorney general of a border state. I went after the transnational gangs, the drug cartels, the human traffickers,” Harris told an audience at a recent rally. “I prosecuted them in case after case and I won, so I know what I’m talking about.”

“We know our immigration system is broken, and we know what it will take to fix it: comprehensive reform. That includes strong border security and an earned path to citizenship,” she added.

Republicans criticized Harris, saying her immigration policies are marked by a lack of security and open borders.

“Kamala Harris opened the border on purpose. She said she wanted to do it, she campaigned on doing it, and she governed from ‘day one’ to do it,” wrote GOP vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, warned: “If she tells you who she is … believe her.”

“I can’t wait for some random Kamala campaign aide to tell us she doesn’t feel that way anymore,” wrote conservative digital strategist Greg Price.

Latin American migrants take part in a caravan towards the border with the United States, in Huehuetan, Chiapas state, Mexico, on June 7, 2022. – (Photo by Isaac GUZMAN / AFP) (Photo by ISAAC GUZMAN/AFP via Getty Images) (Isaac Guzman/AFP via Getty Images)

22 DAYS: KAMALA HARRIS HAS NOT HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE SHE BECOME PRESUMPTIONAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE

“Kamala Harris doesn’t just want to decriminalize illegal border crossings, she wants to release all criminal illegal aliens. Kamala’s open border policy would lead to more dead Americans like Laken Riley,” said Donald Trump Jr.

“Harris’ platform: no border, no nation, no deportation,” wrote Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to Trump at the White House.

“Did she just admit that out loud?” asked tech entrepreneur Michael Seifert.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) argued that this incident speaks volumes about progressives.

“The left doesn’t stop at crime and open borders, they go to no borders,” he wrote. “They want everyone to come in and feast on massive government programs paid for by taxpayers and debt (which destroys the dollar).”

According to data from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), more than 37,000 migrants were held in 18 privately run detention facilities in fiscal year July 2024. Just over 10,000 of those migrants have criminal records, while about 4,600 have criminal charges pending.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News’ Louis Casinoo contributed to this report.