Biden knew open border policies would lead to 'chaos'—did it anyway

In 2020, Joe Biden’s advisors warned in a memo of "chaos" that would unfold if Biden pursued his immigration plans, however, he ignored the warning after entering office. The New York Times reported that during Biden’s presidential campaign, his advisors had offered a "range of options to avert that crisis" and deter migrants, however, while Biden "seemed to grasp the risk," he and his top aides had failed to act on the recommendations. 

The advisors wrote in the August 2020 memo, "A potential surge could create chaos and a humanitarian crisis, overwhelm processing capacities, and imperil the agenda of the new administration." The memo came in response to Biden’s campaign promises, alongside Covid economic hardships and rebound from the Trump administration, could result in a spike in border crossings. 

The advisors offered a range of options for the incoming Biden administration, including making it easier to quickly reject asylum claims, transferring some migrants to other countries, continuing the Trump administration’s Remain in Mexico policy, and holding people in "reception centers" until their cases could be heard. 

Despite the warnings, Biden upon entering office issued a 100-day pause on deportations, ended the construction of the border wall, suspended the Remain in Mexico policy, narrowed the categories of unauthorized migrants who would be targeted for arrest, sent draft legislation to Congress that would create a pathway to citizenship for those in the country illegally, and other actions. 

This resulted in a massive spike in border crossings under the Biden administration. As border crossings rose, "advisers across the administration kept offering ideas to deter migrants. But political concerns remained," the Times reported. "The result was paralysis."

Biden officials had also advocated internally for "using federal resources to help migrants reach their destinations, but in coordination with the cities receiving them," something that was reflected in Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s campaign to bus illegal immigrants to Democrat-run cities across the country. Biden’s senior advisors refused the idea. 

The Times reported of Abbott’s busing of illegal immigrants, "Many Biden officials came to view Mr. Abbott’s campaign as the point Democrats lost the debate."

It wasn’t until his fourth year that substantial efforts were made to curb illegal immigration, including clamping down on asylum applications in June of 2024. He was pressed about the issue of illegal immigration during his sole debate against Donald Trump, and why voters, who ranked it as a top issue, should trust him on it. However, it was too late, and in July, Biden dropped out of the race. The Times reported, "Anger over illegal migration helped return Mr Trump to the presidency, and he has enacted even more aggressive policies than those Mr. Biden first campaigned against."