The Truths We Hold: An American Journey

Harris recounts her maiden speech on the Senate floor in February 2017, where she emphasized her immigrant background and expressed concern about executive actions affecting immigrant communities. She then delves into the challenges faced by immigrant communities under the Trump administration. She discusses the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, highlighting its importance through the story of Yuriana Aguilar, a DACA recipient and biomedical researcher. Harris argues for the economic and social benefits of DACA, noting that if recipients were deported, the US economy could lose up to $460 billion over a decade.

Harris shifts focus to the crisis in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. She provides historical context, describing the civil wars and ongoing violence that have plagued these nations. Harris explains how extreme poverty, gang violence, and corruption have led to a surge in asylum seekers fleeing to the United States and recounts her efforts as California Attorney General to secure legal representation for unaccompanied minors seeking asylum.

A significant portion of the chapter is dedicated to the Trump administration’s family separation policy at the US-Mexico border. Harris details her questioning of Department of Homeland Security officials, including Kirstjen Nielsen, about this policy in Senate hearings.