Over the past four years the United States experienced an unprecedented surge in illegal immigration across its southern border, as President Joe Biden’s administration dismantled many of the prior administration’s stringent border security measures. Despite repeated assurances to the American people that “the border is secure,” tens of millions of unvetted migrants entered the nation under Biden’s watch, or . . . invitation, straining resources and fueling a national debate about the rule of law, sovereignty, and public safety.
Shortly after taking office in January 2021, President Biden reversed key Trump-era policies that had effectively halted illegal immigration. Among these were killing the “Remain in Mexico” policy (officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols), the halting of border wall construction, and the suspension of Title 42, a public health order that allowed for rapid expulsion of illegal entrants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden signs dozens of Executive Orders overturning Trump’s border security efforts
At the same time, Biden and his top officials, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, publicly insisted that the southern border was “closed” and “secure.” In March 2021, Mayorkas stated, “The border is secure. The border is closed,” even as apprehension numbers surged to record highs.
President Biden himself echoed this sentiment. In January 2023, he declared, “I think the border is secure,” during remarks to the press, despite more than 2 million migrant encounters being reported in fiscal year 2022 alone. Of course, Democrats view illegal aliens as future Democrat voters, as Biden’s ‘Freudian slip’ referring to mass immigration influx of ‘Hispanic voters’ on May 9, 2024 indicated.
Prominent Democratic leaders rallied behind this narrative. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) emphasized in November 2022, “We need immigrants… We have a population that is not reproducing on its own with the same level that it used to. We need a path to citizenship.” Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) insisted, “There is no crisis at the southern border that Republicans would have you believe.”
Facing growing public concern, the Biden administration shifted its messaging, claiming that the only way to fix the “challenges” at the border was through new legislation. In February 2024, Biden stated during a speech, “We need Congress to act. We need a comprehensive immigration reform that will once and for all fix this broken system.”
However, critics pointed out that the proposed “fixes” in Democratic-sponsored legislation would essentially codify the mass influx of illegal aliens, providing expedited paths to citizenship and offering extensive protections for individuals who entered the country unlawfully.
The contrast with the Trump administration’s record could not be more stark. Upon entering office in 2017, President Donald Trump swiftly enacted executive orders to ramp up border security, reinstate and expand detention facilities, build hundreds of miles of new border wall, and negotiate agreements with Mexico and Central American countries to stem the flow of migrants.
President Trump visits border wall as it is being constructed
Illegal crossings plummeted during Trump’s tenure. By mid-2020, with policies like “Remain in Mexico” firmly in place and aggressive enforcement measures underway, the southern border saw some of the lowest levels of illegal migration in decades.
As Trump returned to the White House for his second term in 2025, he wasted no time reinstating his proven policies. Within weeks, construction on the border wall resumed at an accelerated pace, and diplomatic efforts reestablished cooperative security agreements with neighboring nations. The “catch and release” practices that had flourished under Biden were once again halted, and apprehended illegal immigrants were swiftly processed and removed.
Border Patrol data for early 2025 already shows a dramatic decrease in illegal crossings, able to be counted on fingers, demonstrating that decisive leadership and enforcement can reestablish control of the border quickly and effectively.
In short, the Biden administration’s policies opened the floodgates to millions of unvetted foreigners entering the United States, even as officials insisted the border was “secure.” In contrast, President Trump’s border policies – both in his first and second terms – demonstrated that a strong, lawful approach can effectively safeguard the nation’s sovereignty.
Now, as President Trump seeks to return all of those illegal aliens to their countries of origin, Democrats are fighting in the courts and in the streets to stop him.
James Thompson is an author and ghostwriter, and a political analyst.
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