Vanessa Cárdenas: consequences of right wing disinformation “are not just poisonous to our social cohesion and to prospects of any serious policy debate, but it also has an impact beyond our borders by sowing confusion among would-be migrants”
Washington, DC – On the Republican presidential debate stage tonight, and as House Republicans try to refocus the government shutdown conversation away from their internal dysfunction, expect to hear lots of right wing chatter and falsehoods about “open borders.”
New first-of-its-kind polling and research released by America’s Voice makes clear that pervasive disinformation about “open borders” – including from U.S. right wing politicians and right wing media – is a factor in driving migration to the U.S. from Central America. Among the findings, the poll of 600 Central Americans in the prime migration age cohort living in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua found that more than a quarter (27%) of respondents recalled hearing a U.S. politician or official say the border is open in the past six months.
Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice said today: “Tonight on the debate stage, we expect more of the same saber rattling and disinformation, all for political gain. The consequences of that rhetoric are not just poisonous to our social cohesion and to prospects of any serious policy debate, but it also has an impact beyond our borders by sowing confusion among would-be migrants. The research tells us that when U.S. politicians spread disinformation about the border being ‘open,’ some in Central America actually believe it. If the GOP is serious about fixing our immigration policy, they need to stop amplifying lies and actually put workable solutions on the table.”
In the Dallas Morning News, reporter and longtime border chronicler Alfredo Corchado writes an exclusive about the new America’s Voice research, “Poll: Disinformation about ‘open borders’ helps spur migrant surge,” noting:
“The poll, obtained by The Dallas Morning News, indicates many Central American residents are encouraged to travel up to the U.S.-Mexico border based on false narratives … Media Matters for America … found Fox News mentioned ‘open borders’ 3,842 times from Nov. 1, 2020, through Aug. 22, 2023. Newsmax mentioned ‘open borders’ 3,257 times during the same period … Human smugglers amplify the ‘open border’ message to lure vulnerable people already facing corrupt governments, political instability and economies ravaged by a pandemic and climate change, said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of Washington, D.C.-based America’s Voice.
‘These words by politicians and the message of open borders are being consumed throughout the region, and used by smugglers who are trying to prey on people’s desperation,’ said Cárdenas. ‘Politicians need to realize that words matter, and by spreading disinformation for political gain, they’re actually making the problem worse.’”
Read the full poll memo HERE and topline questionnaire HERE and find a detailed summary of key findings and implications in an America’s Voice press release HERE
Ahead of the GOP debate tonight, America’s Voice also released a collection of pre-debate resources, including:
- Key immigration questions we’ll be looking out for regarding the mainstreaming of dangerous white nationalist conspiracies; the ongoing race to the bottom regarding war with Mexico and border violence; their preference for cruel and unworkable political theater instead of real solutions to migration challenges; and the GOP field’s unwillingness to address plans for DACA, Dreamers, and other long-settled undocumented immigrants (See HERE).
- Preview analysis and quotes from AV’s Vanessa Cárdenas
- How Pete Wilson And The Wildly Anti-Immigrant Prop. 187 Helped Turn California From A GOP Bastion To A Democratic Stronghold, AV Blog, September 27, 2023
- A host of other pre-debate resources and backgrounders, including candidate research backgrounders, a reminder of Ronald Reagan’s immigration legacy, fact sheets debunking nativist narratives on fentanyl and “invasion” and “replacement” conspiracies, and a media guide for covering Republicans on immigration.
Find America’s Voice’s pre-GOP debate preview and resources available HERE
