As the real 2024 race for the White House finally heats up, Kamala Harris' presidential campaign is attempting to use the candidate's time as a district attorney and as attorney general of California to portray her as a law-and-order Democrat.
The move towards stronger law enforcement would be a welcome change in the Democrats' platform, which has long supported soft-on-crime policies that make our communities more dangerous.
Unfortunately for Vice President Harris, her record speaks for itself, and voters will be able to see right through her calculated lies. Kamala Harris has always used her power as a prosecutor to serve her personal agenda at the expense of victims, those who are the most vulnerable, and the innocent.
During her tenure as San Francisco district attorney and attorney general of California, Harris championed "sanctuary cities" which shield illegal immigrants, including those who commit violent crimes, from deportation.
That policy allowed illegal immigrant Rony Aguilera, who was found guilty of federal assault in 2007, to avoid deportation and continue victimizing innocent Americans. Despite his violent record, Kamala Harris refused to help deport Aguilera, who later murdered a 22-year-old man by nearly cutting off his head with a sword.
As a Mexican Immigrant who recently became a U.S. Citizen, I can tell you this: If you want to help immigrants, you deport those who are dangerous, especially those who have a violent criminal record. By supporting sanctuary cities, Harris is not a friend of immigrants, but their worst enemy.
Indeed, when Harris was the attorney general of California she stopped the enforcement of "Jessica's Law," which imposed stricter penalties and restrictions on sex offenders. Initially, as district attorney, she supported the law. However, when it suited her political agenda, she instructed parole officers to disregard its restrictions on where sex offenders could live, allowing them to live near children. Kamala Harris has a record of putting those who are most vulnerable in the clutches of dangerous predators.
While Minneapolis was being burned to the ground by violent rioters, Kamala Harris promoted the Minnesota Freedom Fund. This fund helped individuals accused of serious crimes, including murder and sexual assault, get released on bail. The fund's efforts have resulted in the release of individuals who were later convicted of more crimes.
This is not just a misstep; Kamala Harris promotes causes that she thinks help her political career. If she becomes president, Harris would bow to the whims of radical left-wing activists instead of working to protect Americans and uphold justice, if it means getting reelected.
Whenever Harris does act "tough on crime" she misuses the power of the state at her whim to prosecute those who do not deserve it.
As attorney general, Harris significantly expanded the practice of prosecuting parents of truant students, often targeting low-income and minority families, while failing to address the root causes of absenteeism and making life worse for already struggling families.
No greater example of Harris' misuse of power exists than her record of keeping innocent people behind bars.
In 1999 Daniel Larsen was wrongly convicted and sentenced to 27-years-to-life. But when a federal judge found that Larsen had been wrongly convicted in 2010, Kamala Harris kept fighting to keep Larsen behind bars for an additional two years.
In the case of Johnny Baca, the Ninth Circuit Court was set to overturn his conviction due to false evidence. Under Harris's watch, the state fought to keep the conviction despite the fact that it was based on false testimony. The only reason Harris dropped the case was because she had just announced her run for the U.S. Senate and Baca's wrongful prosecution would hurt her politically.
The problem with Kamala Harris is that she is the worst of both worlds—a soft-on-crime politician who uses the power of the state against innocent people when it fits her needs. The worst thing about her is not that she is too pro-criminal, or too pro-law-and-order—the worst thing about Kamala Harris is that she is pro-herself.
Gabriel Nadales is the National Director of Our America.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
