Frustrated Ex-ambassador Contemplates Presidential Run Amid Border Crisis

WHO:

Fox News - Ken Salazar, former U.S. ambassador to Mexico under President Joe Biden

Yahoo - Ken Salazar, former Interior secretary, Democratic U.S. senator, and Colorado attorney general

Yahoo - President Joe Biden

Yahoo - Vice President Kamala Harris

Yahoo - Alejandro Mayorkas, former Homeland Security Secretary

Yahoo - Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego

Yahoo - Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

WHAT:

Fox News - Salazar considered running for president in 2024 after Biden's debate performance.

Fox News - Salazar claimed he begged for a "border czar" and advised Biden to refer to the border situation as a crisis.

Yahoo - Salazar's book, titled "Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America," is part-memoir and part-manifesto.

Yahoo - Salazar criticized Harris for being ineffective in her role as "border czar."

Yahoo - Salazar's "borderlands platform" argues that the U.S. immigration system is broken and must be fixed.

Yahoo - Salazar met with potential Democratic presidential candidates to discuss his immigration policy ideas.

WHERE:

Fox News - Felipe Angeles International Airport in Zumpango, Mexico

Yahoo - Mexico

WHEN:

Fox News - Salazar's book is set to be released on July 28, 2026.

Yahoo - Salazar's frustration grew over nearly four years during his tenure as ambassador.

Yahoo - Biden issued an executive order in June 2024 that effectively closed the southern border.

WHY:

Fox News - Salazar expressed frustration over the political failure to understand the border crisis and its consequences for Democrats in the 2024 election.

Yahoo - Salazar believed the lack of a "border czar" position and the late acknowledgment of the border situation as a crisis contributed to the administration's failures.

HOW:

Fox News - Salazar recruited a team and drafted a presidential platform but never declared his candidacy.

Yahoo - Salazar consistently petitioned the White House for a "border czar" position and pressed officials for a unified message on the border crisis.

(UPDATED June 12, 2026 13:59 UTC)

Ken Salazar, the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has expressed his frustration over the handling of the border crisis, claiming that the lack of a "border czar" position has contributed to the administration's failures. In his upcoming book, "Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America," set to be released on July 28, 2026, Salazar outlines his views on the broken U.S. immigration system and criticizes Vice President Kamala Harris for her effectiveness in addressing these issues. He has also met with potential Democratic presidential candidates to discuss his immigration policy ideas, as he considered a run for president in 2024 following President Biden's debate performance.