When Migrants Become Political Pawns

Decoding the American Migrant Busing Crisis

Sumana Chattopadhyay (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

240 Seiten

2026
Rowman & Littlefield (Verlag)
978-1-6669-5743-3 (ISBN)

Noch nicht erschienen (ca. Juli 2026)
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In this book, Sumana Chattopadhyay analyzes the U.S. migrant busing crisis of 2022 as a case study to explore ideas of nativism, identity politics, divisive rhetorics, and the red-blue-purple political divide, and how these divides are reflected in the media coverage of immigration issues.

The U.S. migrant busing phenomenon began in April 2022, when Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent migrants to Washington, D.C., protesting the Biden administration’s plan to end Title 42, a pandemic-era order allowing rapid expulsions of asylum seekers. Soon Arizona and Florida governors Ducey and DeSantis also transported migrants to sanctuary cities without notice to local officials. Migrants, long framed as pawns in political rhetoric, were now physically moved like chess pieces to spotlight immigration before the 2022 midterm elections and challenge Biden’s record. This book examines coverage of the busing crisis in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and local news from Illinois, Florida, Texas, Utah, Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin. Findings reveal differences across outlets in blue, red, and purple states. Central to the discussion is the weaponization and 'pawnification' of migrants – treating people as disposable pieces in political conflict – which raises significant ethical concerns.

Ultimately, Chattopadhyay foregrounds the real human beings who have become props in a game of political maneuvering to explore the effects of this media coverage - on both national and local levels - and to illuminate the forces and long-term implications at play in this dynamic.

Sumana Chattopadhyay is Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies & Research in the Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University, USA.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Martha’s Vineyard and the Plight of Venezuelan Migrants: Examining the NYT Portrayal of the U.S. Migrant Busing Crisis
2. Welcome or Unwelcome: Navigating Another National Newspaper’s Busing Stories in a Blue Sanctuary City
3. The Busing Crisis in Illinois Media
4. The Texan Media Maze
5. The Migrant Flights Controversy: DeSantis’ and Florida’s Take on Busing
6. The Curious Case of Arizona
7. How Red is Your Heart? Local Media Reporting in the Red State of Utah
8. Purple Perspectives: Busing Coverage in Wisconsin and Georgia
9. Making Sense of the Findings from the States
Conclusion: the Dynamics of ‘Pawnification’ and Recommendations for the Future

References
About the Author
Index

Erscheint lt. Verlag	16.7.2026
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Themenwelt	Sozialwissenschaften ► Kommunikation / Medien ► Journalistik
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Kommunikation / Medien ► Kommunikationswissenschaft
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Kommunikation / Medien ► Medienwissenschaft
ISBN-10	1-6669-5743-7 / 1666957437
ISBN-13	978-1-6669-5743-3 / 9781666957433
Zustand	Neuware