A woman from California, who suffered a violent assault in 2008 at the hands of an undocumented immigrant, is now voicing her criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris. During her time as San Francisco District Attorney, Harris initiated a program that set the assailant free.
Amanda Kiefer was out with friends in San Francisco when 20-year-old Alexander Izaguirre snatched her purse and attempted to run her over with a waiting SUV, resulting in a fractured skull.
Izaguirre, who was illegally residing in the U.S., had been arrested on drug charges a few months before the attack but was released due to a program introduced by Harris that permitted non-violent offenders to avoid incarceration in favor of job training, with the possibility of having their records expunged.
Kiefer, then 29, is speaking out about the trauma she endured for the first time in 15 years. In an interview with ABC News, she described the incident as a “wake-up” call.
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“When a policy impacts you negatively, you start to awaken,” Keifer, now 45, remarked to the outlet.
This brutal assault has gained renewed attention after the Republican National Committee launched a two-minute campaign advertisement targeting Harris. The ad claims that she was “liberal on illegal immigration long before she arrived at the White House.”
The advertisement highlighted Kiefer’s case, stating that Harris “permitted illegal immigrant drug dealers to take part in job training” instead of facing jail time.
Kiefer commented, “Most Americans would likely disapprove of allowing individuals who commit crimes to remain outside of prison and train for jobs they cannot legally occupy.”
According to the ABC News report, Harris has previously acknowledged that the program, dubbed “Back on Track” and promoted as “smart on crime,” had its shortcomings. In a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she admitted there was a “design flaw” in the program that allowed illegal immigrants to remain free, despite the unlikelihood of them utilizing the job training offered.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on July 18, 2024. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
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“The primary goal of the program was to achieve and maintain lawful employment” — and someone in the country illegally “would probably be unable to do so, contradicting the essence of the program,” Harris stated at the time.
“I believe we corrected that,” Harris continued. “Moving forward, it’s crucial to ensure that no one enters Back on Track without the ability to secure legal employment.”
As Kiefer speaks out and the RNC releases their advertisement, the Trump campaign focuses on highlighting Harris’ track record regarding immigration, particularly as illegal border crossings surged to record levels before recent asylum restrictions led to a decline, reaching a three-year low in June.
In the early days of the Biden administration, Harris was assigned a significant role in addressing the border crisis, focusing on the “root causes” of illegal immigration, primarily through diplomatic efforts with the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
President Biden speaks with a member of the U.S. Border Patrol as they walk along the U.S.-Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas, on Jan. 8, 2023. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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However, critics argue that the vice president’s efforts were insufficient, claiming that Harris failed to take necessary actions to curb what evolved into a worsening crisis.
“It’s deeply disappointing,” stated Brandon Judd, former president of the Border Patrol Union, regarding Harris’ record last week. “We provided her with the policies required for implementation. She chose not to act on those.”
Kiefer also informed ABC News that this experience served as a “red pill moment,” prompting her to shift away from her previously held liberal views and support candidates like former President Trump.
The Harris campaign did not respond promptly to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
