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Jamal Simmons, the new communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, was forced to publicly apologize Friday for a tweet he posted in 2010 in which he called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport “two undocumented immigrants.”
Simmons, a Democratic writer and political analyst who was appointed last Thursday as Harris’ communications director, tweeted in November 2010, “Just saw 2 undocumented folks talking on MSNBC and have serious legal question. Why wouldn’t ICE pick them up.”
Following his appointment yesterday as Harris’ communications director, Simmons attempted to justify his words today in a new message on Twitter.
“As a pundit for much of my career I have tweeted a lot and spoken out on public issues. Sometimes I have been sarcastic, unclear, or just plainly missed the mark. I sincerely apologize for offending those who care as much as I do about making America the best, multi-ethnic, diverse democracy it can be. I know the role I am taking on is to represent the Biden-Harris administration, and I will do so with humility, sincerity and respect,” Simmons said.
Hours later, in the wake of the backlash from the original 2010 tweet, Simmons was again forced to defend his policies with another message on his Twitter account.
Simmons’ appointment is part of a restructuring of Harris’ staff, following months of criticism of the vice president’s work.
Precisely, Harris has been in charge of defining the so far failed immigration strategy of President Joe Biden’s administration in response to the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
