President Joe Biden ignored explicit warnings from his own advisers that his immigration plans would trigger “chaos” at the southern border, according to a newly uncovered memo that sheds fresh light on the policy failures that defined his presidency and contributed to his 2024 election loss.
The memo — written during Biden’s 2020 campaign and obtained by the New York Times — cautioned that undoing Trump-era restrictions without an enforcement strategy risked a massive migrant surge.
“A potential surge could create chaos and a humanitarian crisis, overwhelm processing capacities and imperil the agenda of the new administration,” advisers wrote, urging Biden to tighten asylum screenings, use reception centers to hold applicants, and explore third-country transfers.
When he entered office months later, aides again urged him to strengthen border enforcement. But senior advisers blocked action, fearing backlash from progressives and arguing that immigration wasn’t a top concern for voters outside border states.
The result was immediate: Biden’s first three months in office saw border crossings exceed any monthly totals under Trump, overwhelming federal resources and border communities.
Advisers also proposed a plan to help move migrants to their U.S. destinations — a precursor to the busing strategy later used by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — but the idea was dismissed over concerns it would encourage more arrivals.
Former Biden officials now say those choices were pivotal errors that helped sink his reelection bid.
Biden has since blamed Republicans for obstructing his border agenda, though he ultimately invoked executive authority to shut down the border late in the 2024 campaign.
A Biden spokesperson defended the move, saying: “When it became clear Congress wouldn’t act, Biden took decisive action on his own.”
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“A Biden spokesperson defended the move, saying: “When it became clear Congress wouldn’t act, Biden took decisive action on his own.”
Congress still hasn’t acted- Trump is just enforcing laws already in place and voila: problem solved.