President Joe Biden’s administration has overseen the highest level of net migration in U.S. history, underscoring the scale of the border crisis that has defined much of his tenure.
According to a New York Times analysis of border data, annual net migration averaged 2.4 million people from 2021 to 2023, with the total likely exceeding eight million during Biden’s presidency.
This surge surpasses even the historic immigration waves of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Adjusted for today’s population size, the pace of net migration — including both legal and unauthorized entries — is the fastest recorded since at least 1850. Notably, approximately 60% of migrants entering the U.S. since 2021 did so without authorization, further intensifying the border crisis.
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Reversals of Trump-Era Policies
The surge in migration coincided with Biden’s rapid rollback of several Trump-era border policies aimed at curbing unauthorized immigration. During his first year in office, Biden issued 296 executive actions on immigration, including 89 that reversed or began dismantling Trump administration initiatives, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Key actions included:
- Ending Border Wall Construction: Halting the physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Shutting Down “Remain in Mexico”: Repealing the program requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases were processed.
- Rescinding Title 42: Ending the COVID-era health policy that allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the border.
- Eliminating Safe Third Country Agreements: Nullifying arrangements with Central American nations to manage asylum claims closer to migrants’ home countries.
Biden also attempted to pause most deportations with a 100-day moratorium via executive order, though it 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 schedule asylum appointments at U.S. ports of entry. Since its rollout, over 800,000 appointments have been booked, highlighting the increasing demand for legal pathways amid growing backlogs.
Despite these measures, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported roughly 8.5 million migrant encounters along the southern border from fiscal years 2021 to 2024. This unprecedented influx drove the U.S. foreign-born population to 15.2% in 2023, exceeding the previous high of 14.8% set in 1890.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green criticized the administration, stating that 2024 marked “the second-worst year in terms of inadmissible alien encounters ever,” surpassed only by 2023.
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The border crisis also became a critical issue in the 2024 presidential election. While a June executive order temporarily reduced unlawful border encounters, the policy shift came too late to stem voter frustration. Former President Donald Trump capitalized on the issue, winning a decisive electoral victory fueled by a hardline border platform that flipped historically Democratic border counties into Republican hands.
The record-breaking migration levels and ongoing border challenges have left a lasting impact on the nation’s immigration policies and political landscape. With a new administration taking office, the debate over balancing border security, humanitarian obligations, and immigration reform is expected to continue shaping the national agenda.
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