By JILL COLVIN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - When President Donald Trump insisted last year that the nation's southern border was in crisis, his warnings landed with a thud.

Making unverified claims about "unknown Middle Easterners" and prayer rugs found by ranchers, Trump drew eye rolls from Democrats and many in the media, who derided his tactics as little more than an election-year stunt.

Now, six months later, Trump's new cries of alarm are again being met with skepticism, even as the situation at the border has deteriorated. Lawmakers of both parties agree there is a genuine humanitarian emergency, with federal authorities and nonprofits unable to cope with the tens of thousands of Central American families seeking refuge in the U.S.

It's a classic case of the boy who cried wolf.

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