Brace for Turmoil: Kamala Harris Faces Escalating Border Crisis

By Dennis E. Nixon |

The Biden administration’s handling of border security and immigration policy has been a focal point of intense scrutiny. Since taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden has systematically reversed many of the previous administration’s policies, with significant consequences at the U.S.-Mexico border.

On his first day in office, Biden suspended the Migrant Protection Protocols, which had required asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases were processed in U.S. immigration courts. This policy change was perceived as a signal that asylum seekers who managed to reach U.S. soil might remain indefinitely. Cartels and human traffickers exploited this policy shift, encouraging migrants to embark on perilous journeys to the border.

Biden’s decisions didn’t stop there. In April 2022, he rescinded Title 42, a policy initiated by the Trump administration during the pandemic to quickly expel illegal immigrants and prevent them from seeking asylum. Predictably, these measures led to a sharp increase in border crossings.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data indicate a dramatic rise in encounters along the Southwest border: from 73,994 in December 2020 to 301,982 in December 2022. Biden’s approach, aimed at undoing his predecessor’s policies, led to unanticipated and dire consequences.

Vice President Kamala Harris was tasked in March 2021 with addressing the “root causes” of illegal immigration. However, her assertion in September 2022 that the U.S. had a “secure border” was met with skepticism. The numbers and the narrative told by CBP data suggested otherwise.

The fiscal year 2023 saw 2.5 million encounters at the border, fueling public dissatisfaction. A Gallup report indicated a surge in anti-immigration sentiment, with 55% of U.S. adults favoring decreased immigration, the highest level of opposition since the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks.

Amid these challenges, two tragedies stand out. Migrants endure severe hardships, including physical abuse and murder, while trying to claim asylum. Meanwhile, the U.S. economy, which desperately needs workers in sectors like agriculture and healthcare, suffers due to insufficient native-born labor.

The nation requires effective, orderly immigration policies that balance security and economic needs. The Biden administration’s record, however, has left many Americans wary of even sensible reforms. A potential Harris administration could exacerbate these issues.

Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Dennis E. Nixon is a contributor to The Daily Caller News Foundation and chairman and CEO of IBC Bank, based in Laredo, Texas. He has been deeply involved in border, trade, and immigration policy for five decades.