Fox host: It is “unfair” to call fearmongering about caravan bringing disease racist

Fox hosts and guests have been leaning on the trope of immigrants carrying disease for a month, claiming they will bring leprosy, rabies, syphilis, diseases that cause “polio-like paralysis,” and smallpox

From the November 29 edition of Fox Business' Varney & Co.:

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STUART VARNEY (HOST):  I want to get to that migrant caravan, it's now on southern side of the southern border. Reports of serious health issues, what do you got? 

ASHLEY WEBSTER (FOX BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT): Well, you've got 6,000 people crammed into a small space. This is coming from the Tijuana health department who say they now have three cases -- confirmed cases of TB, four confirmed cases of HIV/AIDS, 101 cases of lice, four confirmed cases of chickenpox. This is a humanitarian crisis, you've got 6,000 people crammed into a small area with just 35 portable bathrooms. There's this -- a third of the migrants that are there are now being treated for health problems. Some are now leaving voluntarily, by the way, some of these migrants. Some have actually accepted temporary work and asylum from Mexico, but it is a mess and it is getting worse. 

ELIZABETH MACDONALD (FOX BUSINESS HOST): Ashley just nailed it, it is humanitarian. The U.S. wants to help these people. Mexican authorities want to help treat these people. However, when this was raised a month ago, it was called “xenophobic” and “racist” to bring up this issue that these people are sick and need help.

WEBSTER: Yes. 

VARNEY: Right. Not to mention the M-13 member --

MACDONALD: That's unfair to do that. 

VARNEY: MS-13 member who was arrested.

Previously:

Fox is now showing viewers a list of “serious health risks being carried by” asylum seekers in caravan

Fox News guest claims migrant caravan is bringing “small pox and leprosy and TB that is going to infect our people”

Laura Ingraham calls migrant caravan “a health issue,” speculates that they might be diseased

Leprosy, rabies, HIV and smallpox: Fox News is spreading evidence-free conspiracy theories of a disease infested migrant caravan

Right-wing media keep rehashing the xenophobic smear that immigrants bring diseases