WASHINGTON — Crime in American cities. The national opioid crisis. Election integrity. And now, a terror attack that is considered the deadliest day for Jews in Israel’s 75-year history. Not long after this tragic event, Republicans across the country, from presidential candidates to state representatives, and even conservative media outlets, began to draw parallels between this attack and the nation’s southern border.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia made a statement on Fox News stating, “What happened to Israel could happen to America because our country has been invaded by millions of people from over 160 different countries.” Nikki Haley, former United Nations ambassador under President Donald Trump, also expressed her concerns about the open border, emphasizing the threat of terrorists entering the United States and comparing it to another 9/11 attack. President Trump himself made baseless claims about terrorists pouring into the US through the open border during a campaign event in Iowa.
While Republicans are grappling with deep divisions on other issues, they seem united in their focus on the southern border. Since Trump’s presidency, the border has become a potent political symbol for the party. Republicans have invoked the need to fortify the border to address a wide range of issues, often exaggerating the facts and using militant language.
This message appears to be resonating with voters. A recent NBC News poll indicated that voters overwhelmingly trust Republicans over Democrats when it comes to handling the economy, crime, and immigration heading into the 2024 election. Republican strategist Alex Conant believes that the aggressive focus on the border could be particularly effective now, as the Biden administration grapples with the humanitarian crisis of record numbers of migrants crossing the border and the urgent public health problem of fentanyl.
While Homeland Security officials have stated that there is no specific or credible threat to the United States tied to Hamas, Republicans continue to make assertions about terrorists entering the country. The White House has responded by emphasizing strict national security vetting processes. However, immigration experts point out that the government cannot screen people who enter undetected. Nonetheless, the large numbers of migrants voluntarily surrendering at the border are subjected to screening processes.
Throughout history, American politicians have tapped into xenophobic fears to gain political advantage, often targeting various groups as threats, including Chinese laborers, German men, Jews, and Catholics. The latest Republican rhetoric follows this pattern, drawing on moments in US history such as the migration of Mexican laborers, the war on drugs, and the 9/11 terror attack. However, experts and historians argue that most of these border enforcement measures were based on prejudice rather than actual data.
There have been attempts to link Mideast terror groups and Mexican criminal organizations in the past, but counterterrorism experts agree that there is no substantial evidence to support these claims. Mideast terror organizations and Mexican criminal organizations have different objectives and operate in different regions. While there has been an increase in apprehensions of individuals on the FBI terrorist watch list at the southern border, this constitutes a small fraction of the millions of people crossing the border and does not significantly measure the terror threat against the United States. The 9/11 hijackers, for example, entered the United States legally with visas, and the last terrorist to physically cross the border was arrested in 1999 after coming in from Canada.
Despite these facts, the southern border remains a powerful symbol for politicians and voters. President Trump leveraged fears and grievances surrounding issues such as trade competition with China, economic and social consequences of immigration, and threats from abroad during his presidential campaign. In his recent rally, he used the deadly Hamas attacks in Israel to stoke fears of terrorism at home and reiterated his stance on immigration policy.
It is not just Trump; other Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, consistently bring the conversation back to immigration. In their campaigning efforts, Republicans often blame Mexican criminal organizations and immigrants for the fentanyl crisis and falsely claim that immigrants in the country illegally are gaining access to the ballot box.
Historians and political analysts warn that this heated language on immigration taps into far-right and racist tropes, which can fuel fear and potentially incite violence. In recent years, white supremacist shooters have cited similar rhetoric in their lead-up to committing violent acts.
Authorities must approach the issue of immigration with caution and address it based on facts rather than fueling fear and division. The focus should be on comprehensive immigration reform that considers both national security and humanitarian concerns.
