House Dem traveling with Harris gleefully calls El Paso ‘the new Ellis Island’

One of the House Democrats alongside Vice President Kamala Harris on her visit to the “border” — which was actually hundreds of miles from the epicenter of the migrant crisis — gleefully referred to the Texas area they were touring Friday as “the new Ellis Island.”

The eyebrow-raising moment came courtesy of Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), an ally of President Biden who represents El Paso and was part of Harris’ trip delegation.

After greeting the traveling press and those watching, the Texas lawmaker said with a smile, “Welcome to El Paso. Welcome to my community, to the new Ellis Island, to the capital of the border.”

Her comment refers to the famed site in New York Harbor that processed millions of immigrants as they entered the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

“I am standing before you with a heart full of gratitude, Madam Vice President,” she continued, turning to face Harris.

She went on to thank Harris’ delegation and the press corps “for making the journey,” before lavishing praise on the Biden administration over its immigration policies that have triggered hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants a month to rush the border.

“This is a really important day, and I have a heart full of gratitude because we finally have an administration willing to tackle the big challenges. Challenges that our country has dealt with for decades … in a meaningful, thoughtful, strategic, compassionate way,” she continued.

“That means starting with root causes, and understanding what’s driving people from their home, what’s making them arrive at our nation’s front door. And El Paso’s front door is one that has always been one of dignity and humanity and compassion.”

El Paso has fared significantly better than the Rio Grande Valley, represented by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas).

Cuellar has spoken out against the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis and encouraged Harris to visit the region.

Escobar, meanwhile, has not.

The Biden administration’s undoing of former President Donald Trump’s border policies has prompted a flood of Central American and Mexican illegal migrants at the US border, including thousands of unescorted children.

Central Americans looking for refuge from the Northern Triangle countries — Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras — have taken these policy moves, as well as the overwhelmingly more welcoming tone from Democrats, as a sign that Biden is inviting them to cross the border.

Insisting that the border was not facing a crisis, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in early March that the problems the agency faced should be blamed on the previous administration.

The data, however, overwhelmingly shows that migrants are flooding the border because they believe Biden will welcome them with open arms, with over 170,000 illegal crossings a month.

As the crisis heated up, Biden tapped his vice president to address the diplomatic measures related to its “root causes.” However, despite intense pressure, she had declined to commit to going to surveil the situation for herself.

In addition to Escobar, Harris was joined on her Friday trip by Mayorkas and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) excoriated Escobar over her comment Friday, calling it “another crisis” at his weekly press conference.

“Is that what the Democrats believe? The crisis they created of cartels controlling the border, of drugs up 300 percent, of young children at the age of 3, 2 and 1 with no company of any parent or anybody else around, [with] ranchers finding them,” the top-ranking House Republican asked.

“That’s the Ellis Island of today? I think not.”