Staff Reports
The Biden administration has seemingly pulled off a political sleight of hand, managing to ease the most significant illegal immigration crisis the nation has ever faced just in time for the upcoming elections. Suddenly, the Southern border appears to be under control, with the latest numbers of migrants attempting to cross dropping to levels reminiscent of the Obama and Trump administrations. Who knew that political expediency could work miracles?
The reduction in illegal crossings is remarkable, especially when considering that just last December, the total encounters soared to a staggering 371,000. After months of baffling back-and-forth maneuvering, the administration’s collaboration with Mexico and alterations to its own border policies appear to be paying off—or at least changing the story just in time to polish up the optics before November. However, many Republican leaders aren’t buying the administration’s feel-good narrative, having labeled it nothing more than a facade.
🌟 Great explainer here on how the Biden administration has continued to expand border workarounds and, in turn, been able to lower illegal border crossings big time https://t.co/P2YFmXTHVy via @dcexaminer
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 22, 2024
Skeptics like the House Homeland Security Committee Chairman have pointed out that while illegal crossings might be declining, the real records are being set at the ports of entry. The grumbling from the right continues as Republicans contend that the secret sauce to this supposed success is simply more questionable mass parole programs that openly encourage unlawful entries under the guise of legal pathways. The irony of pursuing a “solution” while simultaneously trying to skirt congressional authority is not lost on the critics.
What’s truly astonishing is the administration’s ability to backtrack on past strategies and claim success without actually enforcing stricter border controls. The current drop in migrants at the southern border has largely coincided with a “crackdown” in Mexico and an apparent increase in restrictions on asylum seekers. Congress has not taken a united front on immigration reform, allowing the administration to exploit this disarray to shift blame and cultivate a superficially successful narrative. Meanwhile, truck drivers now share the CBP One app with illegal migrants, turning it into a glorified reservation system for would-be illegal border crossers.
In a troubling twist, the administration’s attempts to establish regional processing centers and programs for migrants seem more aimed at optics than practical action. The president recently made headlines for opening regional processing centers in Central and South America—benchmarks that will likely struggle to keep pace with daily illegal crossings. Yet, the administration appears convinced that creating appointment systems for migrants will solve all the border woes, despite it being a politically motivated gesture rather than a genuine policy shift that addresses the real issues at the border.
As the election season approaches, the Biden administration’s juggling act has left many conservatives wondering how long the can-kicking will last, especially as claims of drastic illegal immigration reductions falter under deeper scrutiny. With more migrants being admitted via various new programs and the controversies surrounding them rising to the surface, the only thing clear is that the border crisis remains more of a politically choreographed dance than a resolved issue. It seems, for now, the Biden administration is doing its best to keep the music playing while hoping no one notices the missteps.
