A large caravan of migrants are working their way up to the southern border, suggested to be thousands strong. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) posted a brief video on X (formerly Twitter) pointing out the timing of the caravan in the news cycle, how these events receive organized assistance, and that they are easily avoidable.
In addition, Rep. Luna said, "There needs to be a stand-alone border bill. Don't tie it to anything else."
There needs to be a stand alone border bill. Dont tie it to anything else. Also if you have info on the orgs that are orchestrating these, post them below. pic.twitter.com/3pQ0EBFSTk
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) December 28, 2023
The Hill described how the caravan began in Mexico, made up of migrants from across Central and South America and heading north from Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala. The Mexican government's slow-walking to process migrants has contributed to the caravan's creation as a means of protection.
Rep. Luna pointed out in her video that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) frequently organize these caravans, as authorities have "literally found documentation literature and for goodness' sakes, sometimes these people have cellphones that they are actually given in order to organize these massive marches to the US-Mexico border."
A follow-up post by Rep. Luna posted information about one such NGO, known as "Pueblo Sin Fronteras" ("People Without Borders"), who organized a previous caravan in 2018.
Oh gee wiz look what we have here. https://t.co/Gjir9AXDfs pic.twitter.com/JOz96EcprR
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) December 28, 2023
Furthermore, Luna pointed out that migrants have come from all over the world through the border, including a worryingly high number of people on the known terrorist watchlist, something she, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) have warned about before.
Others, Luna continued, have come from China, which Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) said are likely serving as spies for the Chinese Communist Party.
"So to hear that this is somehow a humanitarian thing, and we need to just blanket wave these people in. One, it is stupid, but also it is a political talking point. And let me be clear about something. We absolutely have the ability to stop this, and we should," Luna concluded.
Luna's video came after President Biden sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to Mexico in order to negotiate a solution to the crisis.
Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan derided the meeting as a useless gesture because House Republicans already passed the Secure the Border Act in May and have been demanding the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House pass it without trying to attach funding to Ukraine and other foreign aid.
