Fetterman asks Democrats to work with GOP on border, says concern ‘isn’t xenophobic’

Border security, among the more polarizing issues on Capitol Hill, typically pits Republicans against Democrats. But one Democrat recently spoke of finding common ground with his GOP colleagues.

Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, called illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border a legitimate concern, and something both parties should address together.

“I hope Democrats can understand that it isn’t xenophobic to be concerned about the border,” Fetterman said in a Dec. 7 interview with Politico. “It’s a reasonable conversation, and Democrats should engage.”

About 270,000 encounters — which include apprehensions and expulsions — occurred at the southern border in September, the latest month with data available, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“Honestly, it’s astonishing. And this isn’t a Fox News kind of statistic. This is the government’s,” Fetterman told Politico, referencing the encounters. “You essentially have Pittsburgh showing up there at the border.”

In 2022, more than 2.2 million people were apprehended as they crossed into the United States illegally, the highest number ever recorded, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service. Most were single adults from a variety of Latin American countries, the largest percentages of which came from Mexico, Guatemala and Cuba.

While immigration reform is complex, Democrats, Fetterman told the outlet, should acknowledge the large-scale nature of the southern border crossings.

A spokesperson for Fetterman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

The senator’s comments come as Republicans are fighting to include border security measures in a bill authorizing aid to Ukraine and Israel, according to Reuters.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Dec. 6 said if Republicans supported the aid bill, he would offer them the ability to add an amendment on border security.

But in a vote later that day, every Senate Republican voted against the bill, according to Reuters.

“Today’s vote is what it takes for the Democratic leader to recognize that Senate Republicans mean what we say,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, according to the outlet. “Let’s finally start meeting America’s national security priorities, including right here at home.”

Nearly half of Americans, 47%, consider illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border to be a major problem, according to a June survey of 5,115 U.S. adults conducted by the Pew Research Center. That percentage is up 9 points from 2022.

Of Americans who are or lean Republican, 70% view illegal border crossings as a very big problem, while only 25% of those who are or lean Democrat said the same.

This story was originally published December 8, 2023 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Fetterman asks Democrats to work with GOP on border, says concern ‘isn’t xenophobic’."