Influx of migrants at border gains renewed attention as 'crisis' rhetoric spreads
The debate over immigration at the southern border is raging once again, dominating discussion at the GOP debates and sparking fierce criticism from some Democrats.
The debate over immigration at the southern border is raging once again, dominating the discussion at the GOP debates, sparking criticism of the White House's policies among a growing number of Democrats, and fueling renewed media coverage and protests in cities inundated with an influx of migrants.
While it remains to be seen whether immigration will be at the forefront in the 2024 presidential election, as it was in 2020, the momentum has been building in recent weeks and recharged with a tougher tone from both Republicans and Democrats, observers say.
At the second GOP presidential primary debate, the candidates mentioned the “border” about two dozen times, with some threatening the use of military intervention to “take out” drug cartels in Mexico and secure the border.
A review of Fox News coverage shows an increase in air time given to reports about the southern border in recent weeks, following a summer devoted to more gender-identity stories.
The increased coverage tracks with how the number of migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has risen steadily since the start of September, NBC News reported, with more than 200,000 migrants unlawfully crossing last month — a record high for 2023. The number is up from more than 182,700 people who border agents encountered in September 2022 and 142,710 people in September 2021, according to Customs and Border Protection data.
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