Ken Salazar, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico during Joe Biden’s presidency, found himself increasingly disillusioned with the administration’s approach to the border over nearly four years.
Salazar repeatedly called for the appointment of a “border czar” to oversee interagency coordination, but his request was never granted. Instead, the role was inaccurately attributed to then-Vice President Kamala Harris. He also urged the White House to label the situation a border “crisis,” but the declaration was delayed.
By July 2024, three weeks after Biden’s poor performance in a presidential debate, Salazar was so troubled that he contemplated taking action himself. “I should run for president,” he recalled thinking, as detailed in his upcoming book, a copy of which POLITICO acquired ahead of its July 28 publication date.
Salazar told POLITICO, “There was a political failure to grasp the true nature of the border crisis and its potential impact on Democrats in the 2024 election.”
Determined not to let his party repeat past mistakes, Salazar authored a book, Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America. Part memoir and part manifesto, the book proposes a “new North American alliance” where the U.S., Canada, and Mexico would integrate supply chains, patrol borders together, and encourage cultural and educational exchanges. He envisions it as a revival of John F. Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress.
The book also serves as a cautionary tale for Democratic presidential hopefuls in 2028.
Salazar positions himself as an authority on immigration within his party, engaging with potential candidates and promoting his “borderlands platform,” which insists that U.S. borders are “broken” and “must be fixed.” He has already discussed his plan with Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego and is scheduled to meet with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. (Representatives for Kelly, Gallego, and Pritzker did not comment.)
Although Salazar considered a presidential run in 2024 and began preparing a platform, he ultimately did not pursue it. The Democratic Party did not organize a mini-primary after Biden withdrew, and Biden chose Harris as his successor, a decision Salazar labeled a “mistake.”
Throughout his tenure, Salazar petitioned for a “border czar” to manage the interagency response to the immigration crisis. Harris, tasked with addressing the “root causes” of migration, focused on corruption in Central America—efforts Salazar deemed insufficient. He wrote that her role did not impact migration flows and urged the White House, including Biden, to create the position, but it never materialized.
Salazar noted that many perceived Harris as ineffective in addressing migration issues, possibly due to a lack of authority or fear that taking on more responsibility would be politically damaging. Despite sitting near the Oval Office, she was unable to mitigate the border and migration crisis.
Representatives for Biden and Harris did not provide comments.
Salazar’s book arrives at a time when Americans are skeptical of Donald Trump’s immigration policies. An April POLITICO Poll showed that while half of Americans, including a quarter of Trump’s 2024 voters, found his deportation efforts too aggressive, his border policies remained popular. Americans continue to trust Republicans over Democrats on immigration issues, a sentiment some Democrats attribute to a “Biden hangover.”
This dynamic is likely to spark renewed debate within the Democratic Party, especially following former first lady Jill Biden’s memoir on her husband’s 2024 campaign exit. Joe Biden is anticipated to release his own book, although its publication date remains undecided.
In his book, Salazar critiques the prior administration’s failures, which he argues allowed Trump to capitalize on voter dissatisfaction with immigration enforcement and regain office.
Salazar was also let down by colleagues in other areas. In October 2023, when Alejandro Mayorkas visited Mexico as Homeland Security Secretary, Salazar urged him to deliver a unified message about the border crisis. Salazar recalled Mayorkas saying, “Ken, I have a lot on my plate. I’m facing impeachment over this border situation. The Republicans are targeting me.”
Mayorkas did not comment on Salazar’s portrayal.
Salazar’s repeated but unsuccessful attempts to secure the White House’s commitment to resolving the border crisis led him to question his colleagues’ understanding of U.S.-Mexico relations. At the conclusion of Biden’s 2023 visit to Mexico, Salazar confided in his wife, “I’m not sure this administration knows what they’re doing.”
In June 2024, Biden signed an executive order closing the southern border, a move Salazar applauded. “This should have been a moment of vindication—American voters were calling for border action—but it was too late, and chaotic border images dominated the election’s final months,” Salazar writes. Mayorkas later suggested that this action should have occurred sooner.
Salazar asserts the border was “antiquated, under-resourced, underdeveloped, insecure, and broken,” acknowledging that “Trump had been correct.”
Salazar warns his party that ignoring voter concerns about immigration and the border could be perilous, both in the upcoming midterm elections and in 2028.
He hopes the next Democratic leader will embrace his “borderlands” vision, urging cooperation among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for border enforcement. If no one adopts this platform, Salazar remains open to a potential run himself.
When asked by POLITICO about a 2028 presidential bid, Salazar was noncommittal. “I can’t predict the future beyond the fact that we have a November 2026 election, and much will unfold this year,” he said. “Looking ahead, I want this borderlands platform to be part of future agendas.”
Eric Bazail-Eimil contributed.
