Harris likely to raise issues of immigration, economy at Democratic National Convention: Analysts

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO: Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ combative stance on illegal immigration and her strong ties to Silicon Valley are expected to be on display at next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, said observers. 

Vice President Harris has secured the support of enough Democratic delegates to officially become her party’s nominee against Republican rival Donald Trump.

The convention, which is scheduled for next Monday (Aug 19) to Thursday, takes place weeks after President Joe Biden dropped his bid for reelection. 

TOUGH STANCE ON IMMIGRATION

Illegal immigration is an issue that continues to divide the United States, and is a top concern for voters ahead of November's presidential election.

In New York, for instance, migrants have been accused of disturbing once peaceful communities and patience is wearing thin.

Community advocate Renee Collymore, who has the difficult task of trying to support both its oldest and newest residents in the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Clinton Hill, said she has received many complaints. 

“(There is) extreme amounts of trash, fear for their safety,” she said. “Their homes have a heavy smell of marijuana."

A number of serious crimes have also been reported in the neighbourhood recently.

Republicans have suggested that a migrant crime wave is rippling through the US, even though studies do not support these claims. 

Collymore told CNA that she wants to calm community tensions and offer a helping hand at a time when few others are.

“We need therapists for the migrants. We need social workers. We need medical doctors,” she added. “And they need testing - we don’t know if they brought diseases with them.”

New York has been a city synonymous with immigration, but the situation at America’s southern border has put it under strain.

A number of US cities are also facing similar issues, with the Republican Party capitalising on the unhappiness.  

At the recent Republican National Convention, party leaders made a series of claims associating migrants with “out of control” levels of crime.

Trump has taken to calling his Democratic rival Harris a failed “border czar”, and is pledging drastic measures.

“The Republican platform promises to launch the largest deportation operation in the history of our country,” he said last month. 

The total number of attempted crossings at America’s northern and southern border since February 2021 currently stands at about 10 million.

However, recent figures show that the number of people apprehended at the southern border fell 32 per cent from May to June this year.

July is likely to see the fifth consecutive monthly drop in apprehensions, following a Biden administration executive order that took effect in early June to suspend the entry of most illegal migrants.

When the Democrats take to the convention stage in Chicago next week, they are expected to show that the Biden-Harris administration has brought the border numbers down. 

STABILITY TO HELP TECH SCENE THRIVE

Meanwhile, the tech industry has become a key player in US politics in recent years, as a crucial source of fundraising and political clout.

Harris is seeking to win the backing of one of the country's most important industries. She began her political career in San Francisco as a district attorney more than two decades ago, before continuing on to higher statewide offices. 

Some Silicon Valley heavyweights believe a Harris presidency would offer the stability to help the tech scene thrive. 

This comes among concerns that Trump’s “America First” economic policies could endanger the growth that has propelled big tech.

“I think there's one critical difference between the Harris-Walz ticket and the Trump-Vance ticket, and that is that the former is more friendly to allies,” said Professor Olaf Groth of UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

“I think you're dealing with a group of very senior leaders who are in favour of globalism and internationalism.”

While many do not expect America’s ties with China to improve dramatically, the relations are likely to be at least better than they would be under another Trump term, said observers. 

“(Harris) is, on one hand, going to look for some level of continuity – meaning be tough on China, take on issue by issue – but she is going to leave more room for negotiation,” said Groth. 

“That might mean ratcheting back some of those electric vehicle tariffs to some number lower than 100 per cent, in order to create a working space for negotiation. So that's generally a good idea for people in certain tech sectors.”