Axios was on the receiving end of widespread mockery after publishing a column claiming that the notion that the borders are wide open under the Joe Biden administration is little more than a “myth.”
The column was written by Russell Contreras, the “Justice and Race” reporter for the outlet, so you know exactly how seriously you should take the effort.
“By using the term ‘open border,’ conservatives — including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is seeking the role of House speaker — are suggesting that anyone can get into the U.S. without much hassle,” Contreras wrote.
“But the reality is that the southern border is more fortified than it’s ever been,” he added, despite a myriad of evidence to the contrary.
By using the term “open border,” conservatives are suggesting that anyone can get into the U.S. without much hassle. But the reality is the southern border is more fortified than it’s ever been.
Axios Explains: The myth of a U.S.-Mexico “open border”
https://t.co/JXgQs4R7M2— Axios (@axios) October 17, 2023
Axios’ Claim That Open Borders Are A ‘Myth’ Doesn’t Match Reality
There is so much to pick apart in the Axios article suggesting open borders are a myth that it’d be impossible to tackle every facet of the piece.
Let’s at least look at one of the left’s favorite arguments – that arrests at the border indicate successful efforts to secure it.
“The Border Patrol regularly breaks border arrest records, highlighting the difficulty of entering the country illegally,” Contreras wrote.
That’s not what is highlighted by those numbers at all. That’s an indication that illegal immigrants think the odds of them getting into the country are high enough that they’re willing to take a chance by overwhelming the system.
And it doesn’t even address the fact that even after being arrested, we’ve seen mass releases of illegal immigrants occurring in cities around the country.
BORDER CRISIS: More than 10k illegal immigrants have been dropped off on San Diego streets in just the past 2 weeks! I joined Fox News to discuss the crisis and what steps we must DEMAND be taken to secure the border. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/R3js88Jj5u
— Carl DeMaio (@carldemaio) September 30, 2023
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It’s not difficult to get into this country – at all. And illegal aliens, many of whom are on the terror watchlist or have associations with drug cartels, know it.
Apparently, the only one who doesn’t know it is Axios.
Even better, Axios ran this article on the same day that the United States Border Patrol Chief revealed over 1,000 “gotaways” are invading the country on average per day in October. Per day!
But no worries – the open border is just a myth. Would hate to see what those numbers would be if the border wasn’t so “fortified.”
Currently averaging over 1,000 known gotaways per day since October began, per US Border Patrol Chief. These are people purposely evading apprehension despite mass catch and release taking place. https://t.co/M8B55rSScV
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 17, 2023
Axios Mocked Far And Wide
Aside from the statistics, Axios is asking you to not believe your own eyes when it comes to the open borders “myth.”
Numerous videos were posted by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin in September showing what he described as “a total free-for-all” at the border.
It’s a total free for all in Eagle Pass right now. Mass illegal crossing taking place for over an hour and a half. Almost 2 years to the day we saw 15,000+ Haitians under the bridge in Del Rio, we now have thousands of predominantly Venezuelans gathering under Eagle Pass bridge. pic.twitter.com/VkfUQnexGZ
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 20, 2023
Several commentators on the X social media platform (formerly known as Twitter) took Axios to task for the actual myth that open borders are a myth.
“Shame on Axios for downplaying the realities of the southern border,” wrote Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). “Get your facts straight, our border is most definitely NOT ‘more fortified than it’s ever been.’”
Shame on Axios for downplaying the realities of the southern border.
The fact is our border is wide open. Over 1.5 million gotaways have crossed the border since Biden took office.
Get your facts straight, our border is most definitely NOT “more fortified than it’s ever been.” https://t.co/a8hBtj5pbj
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) October 17, 2023
“Did someone from inside Mexico write this article?” quipped political commentator Kambree Nelson.
Did someone from inside Mexico write this article? https://t.co/tpk9oiQdI6
— Kambree (@KamVTV) October 17, 2023
Fox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones responded with one simple word: “Lie.”
Lie. https://t.co/v8jmdsHhKz pic.twitter.com/d5Ete8FfZO
— Lawrence Jones III (@LawrenceBJones3) October 17, 2023
Melugin himself chimed in on the Axios article.
“This is so bad,” he wrote. “You can tell whoever wrote this hasn’t spent much time at the border or hasn’t bothered talking to the agents tasked with patrolling it.”
This is so bad. You can tell whoever wrote this hasn’t spent much time at the border or hasn’t bothered talking to the agents tasked with patrolling it.
Ask the 1.6 million + known gotaways how difficult it was to get in w/ chunks of the border unpatrolled while agents process. https://t.co/D4QcBsZmBv— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 17, 2023
With a take that bad, it’s likely Contreras hasn’t bothered to venture out of his house at all, let alone visited the border, or even watched the news in the past couple of years.
Axios is oftentimes portrayed as an unbiased source of news. Look closer, however, and you’ll realize that they have completely abandoned any pretext of simply being an arm of the DNC.
Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
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