Mom of murdered Rachel Morin sends open letter to Harris with border demands: 'Act now and save lives'

"The time for decisive action is now. This is about protecting our citizens and ensuring that the immigrants who come to America are here to contribute to our great society."

The case is one of a number of high-profile crimes involving illegal immigrants, drawing additional attention to the ongoing effects of the crisis at the southern border, which saw record numbers come into the U.S. under the Biden administration. Critics blame the crisis on the policies of the administration.

In her letter, Morin described Rachel as a "bright light, an American mom who adored her family and devoted her life to her five children."

In her letter, she tells Harris that she has "the opportunity to act now and save lives."

"The American people are watching and will remember if this opportunity for change is met with silence or indifference," she says.

Immigration and border security is a top issue in the 2024 election, and polling shows former President Trump leading Harris on the issue among voters.

Trump has promised to restart border wall construction, which was halted by the Biden administration, and launch a mass deportation program if elected to the White House.

Conservatives have said the bill would enshrine high levels of illegal immigration, and have instead pushed legislation passed in the House last year that would also increase funding but would drastically limit asylum and end the use of parole by the administration.

While the administration has overseen a record number of border encounters, it has recently pointed to a sharp drop by more than 55% since the summer to a presidential proclamation signed by President Biden that limited asylum claims into the country, bringing numbers down to levels not seen since 2020.

Fox News' Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.