According to a BBC news article, a large group of immigrants from various countries are heading to the U.S. border. The caravan mostly consists of family groups.

Even though this isn’t the first time that a group of immigrants have made their way to the U.S. from the south, this particular caravan consists of more than a thousand individuals. There are many reasons why they would want to leave their homes, whether it be economic or for safety concerns.Whatever the reason may be, many people feel like this issue is being given too much attention.

“It’s become a very politicized topic, particularly in regards to the midterm elections. I think its a group of people who are fleeing bad situations who are coming to the country, and I think that it’s a complicated issue,” Speech Language Pathologist Debra Opalesky said.

The caravan itself has spread itself out, where the younger and more agile of the group are significantly ahead of everyone else. People can’t really know for sure, but the most likely outcome of what will happen when they get here is to seek asylum. Many people throughout the country, however, are fearful of such a large influx of people coming here.

“Instilling fear in people is, unfortunately, a way that politicians get people to vote a certain way or not. It’s sort of an easy way out to blame a group of people,” Opalesky said.

President Donald Trump’s recent political ad on illegal immigration have also played into the fears of people, showcasing one off examples of immigrants who committed violent crimes when they were in the United States. This, along with news of the caravan, has put several people on edge about the issue. Even though some have accepted that this is an issue of utmost importance, there are those who have their doubts.

“We’re a nation of immigrants and I don’t know why, all of a sudden, it’s become such a polarizing issue. for political reasons, probably. I would think that we should accept people who are fleeing violence, who want to have a better life,” Opalesky said.