Immigration is rising in the US and Mexico. Why it’s only an election issue in the US.

There are no crowds of migrants huddled on the southern banks of the Tar River. Nor are there busloads of asylum-seekers emptying into the streets of downtown Greenville.

Geographically, eastern North Carolina is closer to Canada than it is to Mexico. And yet there, like in much of the United States, the southern border has felt closer than normal this year.

Presidential elections typically have pollsters keeping a close eye on economic indicators. This year, however, amid record numbers of migrant encounters at the U.S. southern border, combined with high-profile busing of asylum-seekers to major U.S. cities, immigration and border security have emerged as the most important issue for a majority of U.S. voters. And in eastern North Carolina – a purple region in a purple state – it’s front of mind for local candidates, regardless of political affiliation.

The trend differs substantially south of the border. Mexico is also in an election year, voting for its next president and 20,000 local and national offices on June 2. Despite the growing numbers of asylum-seekers and migrants entering – and increasingly languishing – in Mexico in recent years, the topic of migration barely registers among Mexicans.

“It’s not a big issue – not for society, not for the government in general,”