CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This ad is paid for by Donald Trump's campaign. We are breaking down two claims in this ad surrounding immigration.
OUR SOURCES:
THE CLAIM:
The ad starts with this claim that Harris is a Border Czar.
THE ANSWER:
Kamala Harris was never named “border czar”. While she is vice president, Homeland Security is in charge of border security.
WHAT WE FOUND:
In February 2021, President Joe Biden appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to head the root causes strategy, which works to improve conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras so people do not feel compelled to leave their homes.
In a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, the Secretary of Homeland Security stated the Vice President is leading our nation’s effort to tackle the root causes of migration, and why people leave their homes in the first place. “I and my colleagues in the cabinet have been directed to execute the rest of the plan.” He went on to say that the DHS is responsible for securing the border.
THE CLAIM:
Under the Biden-Harris administration, 10 million illegal immigrants crossed the border and stayed here.
THE ANSWER:
While this does add up to 10 million immigrants not all were either allowed in or stayed in the U.S.
WHAT WE FOUND:
According to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection from February 2021 to June 2024, there were more than 7 million people apprehended who were crossing the border illegally. Data also shows 2 million people were "gotaways" meaning they were able to cross illegally and stay undetected in the United States.
Another 1.1 million individuals showed up at a legal port of entry but did not have legal permission to enter the country.
THE CLAIM:
There were 250,000 fentanyl deaths on Harris' watch.
THE ANSWER:
We do not know the exact number of fatal overdoses from fentanyl because the NCHS does not track overdoses of that drug specifically.
WHAT WE FOUND:
The CDC’s National Centers for Health Statistics tracks overdose deaths from synthetic opioids other than methadone which includes deaths due to fentanyl. However, there is no one category for fentanyl.
According to NCHS data from 2021 and 2022, there were a combined 144,439 overdose deaths from synthetic opioids there were an additional 74,702 estimated deaths from the use of those opioids in 2023 which adds up to more than 250 thousand. The figures from 2024 are not yet known.