NEW YORK >> The lifting of a pandemic-era restriction that turned away many migrants at the U.S. border has ignited fierce debates within the Democratic Party over immigration and border security, exposing raw intraparty divisions over an issue that Democrats often find difficult to navigate.

As U.S. officials brace for a rise in illegal crossings at the southern border after the expiration of the measure, known as Title 42, Democrats are grappling with competing political demands, seeking to address the intensification of a long-running humanitarian crisis and in some cases flexing their border security bona fides.

Taken together, the moment underscores the crosscurrents President Joe Biden faces within his party as he slowly begins his reelection campaign and the challenges that await many Democrats in competitive races next year.

“It’s a tough issue because it’s a complex issue,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from El Paso, Texas, a border city that declared a state of emergency before the lifting of Title 42.

“For Republicans, it comes down to three words: Build the wall,” Escobar said, faulting Republicans for torpedoing past immigration overhaul proposals. For Democrats, she acknowledged, the messaging is more challenging. “We want to talk about the multifaceted approach that it takes to address this” she said, adding that sometimes, “we lose people in the process.”

“It starts with a safe and secure border and communicating what you’re doing to ensure there’s a safe and secure border, while at the same time providing a humanitarian and responsible way to become a United States citizen,” said Dan Sena, a former executive director of the House Democratic campaign arm.

Both priorities, he said, “from a messaging perspective and from an actual policy perspective, need to move together in unison.”

Sena said, “It’s a prickly, prickly subject.”