AOC slammed Kamala Harris for telling Guatemalan migrants 'do not come,' saying the US helped destabilize the country in the first place

<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/60bf3511a7202d0018b8da7a-1024/aoc kamala harris.jpg" border="0" alt="aoc kamala harris" data-mce-source="Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images; Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images" data-mce-caption="A composite image of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vice President Kamala Harris."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' rejection of Guatemalan migrants, saying the US was in part responsible for destabilizing the country in the first place.</p><p>At a press conference in Guatemala City on Monday, Harris told Guatemalans thinking of trying to enter the US to stay home, saying: "Do not come."</p><p>Later Monday, Ocasio-Cortez said of Harris' speech: "This is disappointing to see."</p><p>"First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival," she said.</p><p>"Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can't help set someone's house on fire and then blame them for fleeing."</p><biembeddedobject id="fb44f2c0-6904-43ac-8747-8da866c01760" class="twitter mceNonEditable" style="width: 600px; height: 200px;">Tweet Embed: <br>//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1402041820096389124'ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw <br>This is disappointing to see.<br><br>First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival.<br><br>Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can't help set someone's house on fire and then blame them for fleeing. <a href="https://t.co/vADyh5H0bw">https://t.co/vADyh5H0bw</a></biembeddedobject><p>The US recorded more than 178,000 migrants<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/07/opinion/kamala-harris-guatemala.html">many of which were Guatemalan</a>trying to enter the US-Mexico border in April,&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-announces-april-2021-operational-update">US Customs and Border Patrol said</a>. It was the highest one-month total in 20 years, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/11/politics/migrants-us-mexico-border-april/index.html">CNN reported.</a></p><p>On March 24, Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/03/24/remarks-by-president-biden-and-vice-president-harris-in-a-meeting-on-immigration/">said</a> that he was putting Harris in charge of all affairs concerning the southern US border.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>At her Monday speech, Harris said: "I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home. At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come."</p><p>"We, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migration. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back," she added.</p><p>Guatemala was Harris' first foreign trip as vice president.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-slams-kamala-harris-guatemala-warning-disappointing-2021-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mount-everest-death-zone-first-hand-account-2017-9">What it's like in the death zone of Everest, K2, and other mountains</a></p>
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