What’s happening: With immigration as a top concern for voters, Democrats are re-focusing their election strategies to address the border crisis, while both moderates and progressives attempt to shift blame for the crisis to the GOP.

The trend: Democrats are increasingly changing their tune on the border. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) recently stated that the migrants who attacked police officers in Times Square should be jailed, while newly elected Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) made addressing the growing migrant influx his key campaign focus.

Zoom out: With New York City’s police commissioner stating that a “wave of migrant crime has washed over [the] city,” concerns over border security were the defining voter priority in Suozzi’s district (just east of NYC), underscoring the significance of this issue even in traditionally blue states.

Why it matters: Rep. Suozzi’s campaign provides insight into a key turning point in an emerging Democratic election strategy: focusing on the border. The shift in priorities has sparked a political battle with progressives and Republicans in the House.

• Progressive pushback: Far-left progressive groups such as the Working Families Party recently denied any connection between immigration and criminality in NYC.

Shifting the blame: Moderate Democrats, while criticizing Biden, have also shifted blame onto the GOP since Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate bill allegedly aimed at addressing the border crisis.

Empty promises: While Democrats are acknowledging the vital role border policy will play in the 2024 elections, they are seemingly more focused on playing the blame game than introducing effective border control legislation.

• Executive action: President Biden could end the crisis tomorrow if he wanted, but continues to push blame on Republicans for rejecting empty legislation.