Marco Rubio calls new caravan proof of ‘humanitarian crisis’
Marco Rubio hails Florida law protecting workers from student loan claims

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Sen. Marco Rubio pointed to formation of a new migrant caravan in Honduras as proof of a border emergency.

“The new caravan forming in Honduras is proof that what is happening at the border is a crisis. Primarily a humanitarian one,” the Florida Republican tweeted Saturday.

“Our porous border is luring more families with children to undertake a dangerous journey. Placing children in danger & overwhelming our asylum system.”

The language largely mirrors that coming from the White House. President Donald Trump openly considered declaring a national emergency as a means to fund a border wall.

About an hour before Rubio’s post, Trump tweeted: “We have a massive Humanitarian Crisis at our Southern Border. We will be out for a long time unless the Democrats come back from their ‘vacations’ and get back to work. I am in the White House ready to sign!”

The Washington Post reports a new migrant caravan began to form this week with plans to move toward the U.S. border starting Jan. 15.

The newspaper cited fliers circulating Honduran social media channels.

Meanwhile, a partial federal government shutdown over budget negotiations officially just became the longest in history.

Democrats have put the blame for the extended shutdown on Trump and Republican leadership.

“Taking pride in shutting down the government — taking pride in threatening to do so for months or years — is not the behavior of a responsible president,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tweeted on Friday.

“When Democrats took the majority, we promised to listen to good ideas, wherever & whomever they came from. That’s why we voted to pass the GOP language to re-open government that the Senate already passed. But they still they refuse to take ‘yes’ for an answer.”

Trump said the budget does not include enough funding for a border barrier. Pelosi has scoffed at that, at one point suggesting Congress could budget $1.

In Florida, positions on the shutdown and border wall funding break largely along partisan lines.

“President Trump, you have now caused the longest shutdown in our history,” Rep. Ted Deutch, a Boca Raton Democrat, tweeted Saturday. “And the country suffers for it.”

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


One comment

  • Trish

    January 25, 2019 at 12:09 pm

    We need to end the humanitarian crisis and secure American for all Americans. And for the protection of those in the caravans. Please President Trump, declare a humanitarian crisis, close the southern border. Then open the government to pay those dear people working without pay. This stand off is not helping anybody and hurting everyone. Shut down the southern border.

Comments are closed.


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