Then-Sen. Kamala Harris warned Americans not to say "Merry Christmas" until there was permanent status for some illegal immigrants — amid a Trump-era battle over protections for some illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.
"And when we all sing happy tunes, and sing Merry Christmas, and wish each other Merry Christmas, these children are not going to have a Merry Christmas. How dare we speak Merry Christmas. How dare we? They will not have a Merry Christmas," she said at a 2017 press conference, a video of which was obtained by Fox News Digital.
Speakers pushed for the passage of the Dream Act, which would grant a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors, NBC News reported.
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Harris made the remarks in December 2017 at a press conference after then-President Trump had announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shielded some illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors from deportation. Harris said it was "morally wrong" to take away the existing protections for those protected by the Obama-era executive order.
Trump had called for Congress to act to come to a deal that would extend those protections coupled with tougher enforcement, including the construction of a wall at the southern border.
But, as Congress struggled to reach a deal, liberal activists and Democrats warned that the illegal immigrants were now facing uncertainty over Christmas as their protections would go away.
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"They don't know if they will be here in a matter of days, weeks and months," Harris said. "Since Sept. 5, over 12,000 have lost their status... And for that reason, we must get this done, and we must get it done before the end of this year. No January, no February, no March, now."
Harris, both as a presidential candidate and as vice president, would call for a pathway to citizenship for a broader population of illegal immigrants, including those who came to the U.S. as children as well as farm workers, Temporary Protected Status recipients and others.
The Biden administration on day one introduced a sweeping immigration reform bill that includes such a pathway to citizenship. Officials including Harris have continually pushed for that bill to be passed by Congress, but Republicans have balked at that proposal, particularly during the ongoing crisis at the southern border.
Harris has come under attack for her role in the administration leading outreach on border-related issues, which led her to be dubbed the "border czar" — a title she has rejected.
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"Kamala Harris was appointed border czar, as you know, in March 2021, and since that time, millions and millions of illegal aliens have invaded our country, and countless Americans have been killed by migrant crime because of her willful demolition of American borders and laws," former President Trump said on a press call last week.
The Harris campaign has pushed back, contrasting her record with Trump’s record in office.
"The only ‘plan’ Donald Trump has to secure our border is ripping mothers from their children and a few xenophobic placards at the Republican National Convention. He tanked the toughest bipartisan border security deal in a generation because, for Donald Trump, this has never been about actually securing the border — it’s always about himself. He can make up whatever lies he wants, but the fact is there’s only one candidate in this race who will fight for real solutions to help secure our nation’s border, and that’s Vice President Harris," Harris campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said.
Fox News' Matteo Cina contributed to this report.
