Vice President Kamala Harris visited Houston on Monday, highlighting the importance of the White House’s defense of Latino Texans as President Joe Biden prepares to face voters again next year.

According to a Texas Tribune article, during a conversation with Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Nanette Barragán, Harris praised the administration’s efforts to support minority-owned businesses, citing a commitment to a 50 percent increase in federal contracts for those businesses and a $12 billion investment in community lenders.

However, Harris also addressed broader issues, referring to a “total and intentional attack” on people’s rights, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court last year. She strongly criticized states such as Texas that have instituted abortion bans with no exceptions for rape victims, naming the move immoral.

The conversation was introduced by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who shared her recent struggles with mental health and the associated stigma, especially in the Latino community. Harris, who contacted Hidalgo during her treatment, was praised as a great source of support.

The event took place at the Hardy Senior Center in the Garcia district, one of the most Hispanic congressional districts in the country. Afterward, Harris attended a fundraiser, where her husband, Doug Emhoff, honored Texas Democrats and affirmed a commitment not to give up on the state despite Republican control for decades.

According to the same publication, Harris’ visit comes at a time when Biden’s campaign seeks to shore up Latino support ahead of a potential rematch against former President Donald Trump next year. In Texas, Republicans are making aggressive efforts to win over more Hispanic voters.

While Harris was in Houston, a group of Hispanic Republican lawmakers and candidates held a fundraiser in the city, criticizing Harris’s lack of focus on the border crisis. Former Republican Rep. Mayra Flores pointed out that Hispanic Americans are flocking to the Republican Party because of proposed solutions to issues at the border, at gas pumps, grocery stores and other problems in the country.