This week, President Joe Biden issued an executive order aimed at restricting migrants from claiming asylum if they cross the U.S. border illegally. The President claimed this measure would help “gain control of our border,” but many American voters have reasons to be furious with this order.
Firstly, it’s crucial to remember that Biden’s “open border” policies significantly contributed to the current border crisis. On his first day in office, Biden terminated former President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, paused the construction of the border wall, and redirected its funds. The next day, he suspended Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” program, formally ending it six months later. This program had effectively returned an estimated 68,000 migrants to Mexico to await their immigration court hearings in the U.S., successfully managing the influx of asylum-seekers.
Additionally, the Biden administration has been criticized for failing to enforce immigration laws. According to a 2023 House Judiciary Committee report, the Department of Homeland Security under Biden removed less than 1% of illegal aliens through immigration court proceedings between January 2021 and March 2023, despite over 5 million illegal alien encounters during this period. The administration’s easing of asylum claim reviews has led to immigration judges granting nearly 80% of claims in the last three years, with fewer than 6,000 illegal immigrants being removed from the United States.
Biden’s 2022 parole program has further exacerbated the situation. This program allows up to 30,000 asylum-seekers from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. each month, resulting in nearly half a million “inadmissible aliens” being released into the interior of the country with minimal vetting, according to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
While the focus has primarily been on the southern border, encounters at the northern border have surged as well. In April this year, there was a staggering 1,240% increase in northern border encounters compared to April 2021. Projections indicate that the U.S. could see 10 million border encounters by the end of this fiscal year.
The strain on American cities is becoming untenable. Denver’s mayor, Democrat Mike Johnson, announced cuts to regular city services to fund migrant support, while New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned that the migrant crisis could destroy the city. The NYC City Council is even considering repealing its sanctuary-city status due to the overwhelming influx.
The lawless border also raises significant national security concerns. An illegal immigrant from Turkey recently voiced to a news outlet that the American people are right to worry about the lack of security checks at the southern border.
In a recent Time interview, Biden expressed no regret for overturning Trump’s immigration policies and instead suggested his only mistake was not acting more swiftly to replace them. This assertion contradicts his swift actions on his first day in office, leaving many American voters perplexed and frustrated.
The executive order, touted as a solution to “help us gain control of our border,” is riddled with loopholes. It only restricts asylum-seekers after illegal crossings exceed 2,500 per day, still allowing nearly 1 million crossings annually. Moreover, the order grants extensive exceptions, including for unaccompanied minors and those using the CBP One mobile app to seek asylum. These exceptions ensure the continuation of high illegal crossing rates, facilitated by Mexican cartels sending more migrants from around the world.
The Biden administration’s approach suggests that the influx will continue, with significant costs and logistical challenges in potentially repatriating migrants. This scenario is likely to further incentivize illegal border crossings, perpetuating the crisis.
