Last Updated on July 22, 2025 by ThePublic
The phrase “open borders” has become a charged political slogan, often wielded to paint President Biden’s immigration policies as reckless or nonexistent. Repeated incessantly, it fuels a narrative that’s hard to shake, but it’s not the truth. This article dismantles the myth, using data and context to clarify what’s really happening at the U.S. border.
No Such Thing as “Open Borders”
The claim that Biden has instituted “open border” policies is a distortion. Far from dismantling border enforcement, the Biden administration has maintained and even intensified many control measures:
- Record Deportations: In 2023, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported over 235,000 removals and returns, a significant increase from prior years (ICE Annual Report, 2023).
- Title 8 and Prosecutions: The administration continues to use Title 8 expulsions for unauthorized crossings and pursues criminal prosecution for repeat offenders.
- Surveillance and Detention: Investments in border surveillance, including drones and biometric tracking, have expanded, with over 700 miles of border equipped with advanced technology (CBP, 2024). Detention facilities remain active, with over 30,000 individuals in custody on any given day (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, 2024).
While Biden reversed some Trump-era policies—like the “Remain in Mexico” program and family separations—his approach emphasizes asylum processing and humanitarian parole without abandoning enforcement. For example, the CBP One app, introduced under Biden, allows migrants to schedule asylum appointments, reducing chaotic border surges while still vetting applicants.
Why Have Border Crossings Increased?
Encounters at the southwest border have indeed risen, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reporting 2.5 million encounters in 2023, compared to 1.7 million in 2019 under Trump (CBP, 2024). But the causes are global and complex, not a simple byproduct of Biden’s policies:
- Global Migration Trends: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) notes a 30% increase in global displacement since 2016, driven by conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, and elsewhere (UNHCR, 2024).
- Regional Crises: The collapse of Venezuela’s economy has displaced over 7 million people, many heading north. Natural disasters, like Hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020, devastated Central America, spurring migration. Political repression in Cuba and Nicaragua has also driven asylum seekers to the U.S. (Migration Policy Institute, 2024).
- Changing Demographics: Unlike the 2019 surge, which was mostly single adults, recent crossings include more families and unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, complicating enforcement (CBP, 2024).
Trump faced similar spikes, 2019 saw a peak of 851,000 encounters, but the narrative of “open borders” ignores these broader trends.
The “Criminal Migrant” Narrative: Fact vs. Fear
Claims that Biden’s policies have unleashed waves of violent criminals oversimplify a complex issue. Data consistently shows that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S. citizens:
- A 2020 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that undocumented immigrants have incarceration rates 20% lower than the general population for violent crimes.
- The Cato Institute (2023) reported that in Texas, undocumented immigrants were less likely to commit felonies than native-born citizens.
High-profile cases of crimes by migrants are tragic but not representative. Blaming Biden alone ignores systemic realities: immigration enforcement involves multiple agencies, local jurisdictions, and legal constraints. For instance, some crimes occur in “sanctuary cities,” where local policies limit cooperation with ICE, a practice that predates Biden. Mistakes in vetting or release happen under any administration; Trump’s tenure saw similar incidents, like the 2018 release of an immigrant later charged with murder (Washington Post, 2019).
Biden’s Policies in Context
Biden’s approach blends enforcement with humanitarian reforms, distinct but not radically different from past administrations:
- Compared to Trump: Trump’s policies prioritized deterrence, family separations, the Muslim ban, and slashing legal immigration pathways. Biden ended these, expanding asylum access and refugee resettlement (e.g., raising the refugee cap to 125,000 in 2023 from Trump’s 15,000).
- Compared to Obama: Obama deported over 3 million people, earning the “Deporter-in-Chief” label. Biden’s deportation numbers are lower but still significant, with 271,484 removals in 2024 alone (ICE, 2024).
- Legal Battles: Biden’s policies face constant court challenges. For example, Title 42, a Trump-era public health expulsion policy, was extended into 2023 due to judicial rulings, showing Biden’s limited control over some measures.
Biden has also continued border wall construction in high-traffic areas, approving 20 miles in Texas in 2023 (CBP, 2024), contradicting the “open border” caricature.
A Call for Nuance
The “open border” trope thrives on repetition, not evidence. It reduces a multifaceted issue, global migration, economic pressures, legal constraints, to a soundbite. Ethical reflection demands we move beyond fearmongering. A just society can secure its borders while treating migrants with dignity. Scapegoating one administration ignores decades of bipartisan policy failures and global realities.
Conclusion
Biden’s immigration policies are not “open border.” They combine robust enforcement, record deportations, advanced surveillance, with humanitarian reforms. Border crossings have increased, but this reflects global trends, not a lack of control. Claims of rampant criminality distort data showing immigrants commit fewer crimes than citizens. The truth is messier than the slogans, and it’s time we demand better from the debate.