A House Democrat accuses Republicans of fearmongering over the border crisis as the top public safety concern.

A New York congressman running for re-election in a tight race participated in a Zoom town hall and stated that Republican "fearmongering" has the greatest impact on the border and public safety.

"In a Zoom call with Democrat activists from the New York Buddy Group last week, Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan was asked about the crime issue in the districts he represents. He stated that he believes that all the districts lost on the crime issue last year. Now, is crime still a significant issue that is being fought in those districts? Ryan mentioned that crime, economy, and border were the issues he was fighting. He added that the crime issue is not a real problem and that it is just a part of the bigger picture."

Ryan, who did not challenge the assertion that the "crime issue is BS," stated, "In our polling, 'the border' and immigration, which I consider a broad category for this kind of public safety fearmongering, have significant impacts due to the fearmongering tactics used by Republicans."

"Ryan stated that while economy is a close second, the specific cost is what he is referring to, not the macroeconomic indicators such as GDP or unemployment. He emphasized on the cost of living, housing, groceries, and healthcare as the three main costs. He revealed that they polled specific subcategories of costs that people are experiencing. In terms of messaging, Ryan believes that Republicans will continue to focus on fear, crime, and border security, as these are areas where they are currently trusted the most."

"We will continue to prioritize abortion rights and reproductive freedom, as we are trusted more in this area. Our focus will also be on the economy, specifically lowering costs on housing, healthcare, groceries, gas, and utilities. We have a proven track record and plans in place to achieve these goals. Communicating these plans effectively is key, and we are making progress in this area, particularly during our campaign."

In November, Ryan is seeking re-election in New York's 18th Congressional District against Republican Alison Esposito, with the NRCC considering this race one of its top 40 targets.

Savannah Viar, NRCC spokeswoman, stated that Pat Ryan turned Ulster County into a sanctuary county and then adopted a moderate persona on TV, but voted like an extremist in Congress. He disregards the critical issues affecting NY-18, such as the ongoing migrant crisis that negatively impacts New Yorkers daily.

Ryan spokesperson Sam Silverman stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that Congressman Ryan, having served 27 months in combat, understands the importance of securing the border. As a result, he has been one of the few Democrats to push President Biden to restore order at the border. However, Silverman emphasized that there is a significant distinction between working in good faith to achieve a bipartisan solution to secure our border and engaging in bizarre far-right fearmongering, such as spreading false rumors about migrants eating pets.

"Congressman Ryan has the strongest record on border security in this race, as Silverman stated. Pat led a bipartisan effort with Congressmen Lawler and Molinaro calling on President Biden to declare a state of emergency in New York in response to the migrant crisis. Additionally, Pat was one of only 15 Democrats to demand President Biden take executive action to restore order at the border and has gotten multiple pieces of border legislation signed into law, including the ‘Securing America’s Borders Against Fentanyl Act’ and the ‘Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act’."

Unfortunately, this is an uncomfortable reality for Alison Esposito, who opposed the strongest border security legislation in decades, so she's desperately searching for any opportunity to score cheap political points to salvage her failing campaign. Meanwhile, Pat is doing the actual work to fix it.

Ryan has been labeled "Sanctuary Pat" by Esposito while being criticized for his immigration policies, which focus on what most polls indicate is the second most important issue for voters in November, after the economy.

""Pat Ryan may attempt to evade his record on sanctuary and open border policies, but Hudson Valley residents are aware of the truth," a spokesperson for the Esposito campaign stated to Planet Chronicle Digital. In 2019, he declared Ulster County a sanctuary county, prohibiting cooperation with federal agencies. His record is clear: he opposed H.R. 2 in May 2023, which aimed to secure the border; he voted against the Laken Riley Act; and he supports allowing illegal migrants to vote in our elections."

"If Pat Ryan were serious about border security, he would have acted long ago, leaving us 50 days from Election Day. Ryan's recent comments are a slap in the face to the millions of Americans affected by the Biden-Harris border crisis. The fentanyl flooding our borders and the countless victims of crimes committed by illegal migrants are not mere fear mongering; this crisis is a serious issue that demands immediate action."

The Cook Political Report has classified the NY-18 race as "Leaning Democratic."