Motorists in the West Los Angeles area could run into some traffic delays Friday afternoon, as Vice President Kamala Harris flies into the Southland to spend the night at her Brentwood home.
Harris flew to El Paso, Texas, Friday morning for a much-anticipated tour of the U.S.-Mexico border. She is expected to arrive in Los Angeles early Friday afternoon and remain overnight in the area, according to her office.
Presidential-level visits to the Southland are generally accompanied by freeway and road closures to accommodate motorcades. There was no information on what routes will be affected by Harris' visit.
Harris was accompanied on her border visit by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. She has come under criticism from lawmakers — mainly Republicans but also from some Democrats — who questioned why she had not yet visited the border three months after being appointed by President Joe Biden to lead efforts to address the nation's immigration system.
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"It was always the plan to be come here," Harris told reporters upon her arrival in El Paso. "And I think we're going to have a good and productive day."
She stressed that she has "been to the border many times" and was focused on addressing not only the situation at the border but also on the "causes" driving the wave of immigration into the country. She said her visit was about "looking at the effects of what we have seen happening in Central America."
Harris took a tour of the Customs and Border Protection facility in El Paso, then made a stop at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry, considered one of the busiest pedestrian border crossings. During her visit, she met with five immigrant girls, aged 9-16, urging them to "work hard, study, dream and hope."
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The stopover in Los Angeles will be Harris' fourth since becoming vice president. She most recently visited over Easter weekend.
