The border has been open for years. And the Left can’t hide from the consequences anymore.
And now Border Patrol admitted to one unsettling reality that put Democrats on notice.
After initially gutting immigration enforcement and triggering a historic border crisis, President Joe Biden has made an about-face, presiding over the largest deportation operation in a decade.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removed more than 271,000 illegal migrants in fiscal year 2024—the highest number since 2014, according to ICE’s latest report.
This marks a steady climb in deportations under Biden, with 142,500 deportations in fiscal year 2023 and 72,000 in 2022.
“Every year, our workforce faces tremendous challenges — but every year, they meet those challenges head-on,” said ICE acting director Patrick Lechleitner. “I believe we have one of the most adaptable and agile workforces in the federal government.”
But this hardline shift is a stark contrast to Biden’s initial approach. Upon taking office in January 2021, Biden campaigned on dismantling Trump-era enforcement policies and immediately attempted to freeze deportations with a 100-day moratorium.
While courts blocked that moratorium, his administration still delivered on its promise to weaken immigration enforcement, resulting in just 59,000 deportations in fiscal year 2021—the lowest in ICE history.
Biden’s rollback of border security was equally aggressive. He halted border wall construction, ended the Remain in Mexico program, terminated Safe Third Country agreements, and implemented nearly 300 executive actions on immigration in his first year, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
The result was chaos. Illegal immigration soared to unprecedented levels. Fiscal year 2024 saw nearly three million inadmissible encounters at the border—the second highest on record, only eclipsed by 2023.
A New York Times analysis revealed that net migration under Biden is set to exceed eight million people, the highest in U.S. history.
Under mounting public pressure and facing a tough reelection campaign, Biden pivoted in mid-2024, issuing executive orders to tighten border security. By fiscal year’s end, ICE had removed a staggering number of individuals who posed significant threats to national security.
Among the 271,000 deported were 237 known or suspected terrorists, over 88,700 individuals with criminal charges or convictions, and more than 3,700 known or suspected gang members.
Despite the administration’s late attempt to regain control, the situation remains dire.
These deportation figures barely scratch the surface of the border crisis Biden’s policies created.
The incoming Trump administration has promised to take enforcement to an entirely new level.
President-elect Trump, returning for a second term, has vowed to execute the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Former ICE acting director Tom Homan, tapped to serve as border czar, has already hinted at plans for unprecedented removals.
Biden’s legacy on immigration enforcement is a tale of missteps and reactionary measures.
As the next administration prepares to take the reins, the American people will likely witness a radically different approach to securing the southern border and enforcing immigration laws.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
