
What’s happening: President Joe Biden’s team spent weeks negotiating border security legislation with senators. The White House now claims Biden is ready to pass “the toughest and fairest set of reforms … we’ve ever had in our country” — if Republicans stop resisting.
Zoom out: Illegal border crossings have decreased since Mexico started cracking down weeks ago, but the U.S. is still seeing thousands per day. Recent polls show most voters consider immigration a top issue in the 2024 elections and want stricter policies.
No deal: Republicans say Biden’s promises are empty because the legislation would legalize at least 5,000 migrant crossings per day — nearly two million every year.
History: Past presidents have shut downports of entry at the border with no legal constraints.
How we got here: Biden changed executive policy to make it easier to enter and remain in the U.S. illegally.
Why it matters: Biden could end these policies himself and drastically reduce illegal migration. But the Biden administration is keeping its loose border operations going while portraying Republicans as obstructionist for rejecting legislation — shifting the political blame for the crisis ahead of the elections.