Fetterman reportedly calls September border encounters figure 'astonishing,' says concern about border is not xenophobic

As large numbers of migrants inundate America's southern border and Republicans are demanding to address the issue as a condition for approving a package that includes Ukraine and Israel aid and more, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has reportedly opined that it is not xenophobic to have concern about the border.

"I hope Democrats can understand that it isn't xenophobic to be concerned about the border,” Fetterman said, according to Politico. "It's a reasonable conversation, and Democrats should engage."

The senator noted the almost 270,000 southwest land border encounters for September reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to the outlet. "Honestly, it's astonishing. And this isn't a Fox News kind of statistic. This is the government's," he noted. "You essentially have Pittsburgh showing up there at the border." The statistic came in just shy of 241,000 for the month of October.

Fetterman described himself as "perhaps the most pro-immigration member of the Senate," according to the outlet.

"I haven't met anyone that can have a really crisp, cogent solution or easy solution on, 'Well, what do you do when you have roughly a city similar in size of Pittsburgh coming up to the border?'" he said, according to Politico.

Fetterman has been outspoken in supporting Israel's right to destroy Hamas.

"For peace & a 2-state solution, Hamas must be destroyed & I fully support Israel's right to do that. It has been proven that Hamas used the hospital as part of their terror network, this blood is on their hands. Hamas is anathema for the peace, Palestinians deserve better," he noted in a tweet last month.

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