Record net migration marks Biden’s tenure in office after killing off Trump-era border policies

President Joe Biden’s administration has seen the highest level of net migration in US history, underscoring the scale of the border crisis that has defined much of his tenure.

According to A New York Times analysis According to border data, annual net migration averaged 2.4 million people from 2021 to 2023, with the total likely to exceed eight million during the Biden presidency.

This surge surpasses even the historic immigration waves of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Adjusted for current population, the rate of net migration—both legal and unauthorized—is the fastest on record since at least 1850. Notably, approximately 60% of migrants entering the US since 2021 did so without authorization, further exacerbating the border crisis. .

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Repeal of Trump-era policies

The surge in migration coincided with Biden’s swift rollback of several Trump-era border policies aimed at curbing unauthorized immigration. During his first year in office, Biden issued 296 executive orders on immigration, including 89 that reversed or began dismantling Trump administration initiatives, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Key actions included:

• Completion of the construction of the border wall: Ending the physical barrier along the US-Mexico border.
• Closing “Remain in Mexico”: Ending a program that requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed.
• Repeal of Title 42: Ending a COVID-era health care policy that allowed migrants to be quickly deported at the border.
• Cancellation of agreements on safe third countries: canceling agreements with Central American countries to process asylum requests closer to migrants’ home countries.

Biden also tried to halt most deportations with a 100-day executive order moratorium, though that was blocked by the courts.

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In January 2023, the Biden administration expanded the use of the CBP One app, allowing migrants in Mexico to make asylum appointments at US ports of entry. Since its introduction, more than 800,000 appointments have been booked, highlighting the growing demand for legal avenues amid a growing backlog.

Despite these measures, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported approximately 8.5 million encounters with migrants along the southern border from fiscal years 2021 to 2024. This unprecedented influx pushed the foreign-born US population to 15.2% in 2023, surpassing the previous high of 14.8%. % established in 1890.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green criticized the administration, saying 2024 was the “second-worst year for unauthorized alien encounters on record,” second only to 2023.

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The border crisis has also become a critical issue in the 2024 presidential election. While a June executive order temporarily reduced the number of illegal encounters at the border, the policy change came too late to stem voter frustration. Former President Donald Trump capitalized on the issue, winning a landslide election victory with a hard-line border platform that put historically Democratic border districts in Republican hands.

Record levels of migration and ongoing border issues have left a lasting impact on the country’s immigration policy and political landscape. As the new administration takes office, the debate over balancing border security, humanitarian obligations and immigration reform is expected to continue to shape the national agenda.

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