Grading the Biden Presidency (Immigration/Border Issues)

 

 

GRADING THE BIDEN PRESIDENCY:
IMMIGRATION / BORDER ISSUES

The Biden Administration handled the border issue (and related immigration matters) poorly for most of the past four years.

Passions on this issue run deep. Many Americans believe the border situation and the “flow of illegals” is a national crisis. Others insist that Biden’s policies (or lack thereof) have been a disaster, largely due to political inaction. Among members of his own party, even many progressives have been critical of Biden Administration initiatives–which oddly enough included the largest number of deportations in the year 2024.

The bi-partisan immigration reform bill proposed in Feb. 2024 might have been effective. But it should have been pushed through three years earlier, when Democrats had greater leverage and Republicans were weak, politically speaking. Effectively doing little or nothing to reform immigration for most of Biden’s term reinforced negative perceptions about his leadership (and also tarnished Vice President Harris).

The Biden Administration was also caught off-guard and appeared ill-prepared to counter the obscenely cruel dumping of non-documented aliens into many Democratic cities and areas. The Biden Administration failed to counter the (in my opinion, unconstitutional) policy of “sanctuary cities” (no, cities and states cannot and should not make their own immigration policies–which are entirely a federal matter). Republicans took full advantage of Democrats who were divided and the swelling tide of anger among the electorate on the immigration issue (much of it racially based), though the irony is that immigration (including most illegal immigration) is actually good for the economy and ultimately a net win for the overwhelming majority of Americans.

It’s hard to find any accomplishments on immigration, though to be fair, this has been a “kick the can down the road” issue for many decades for every presidency.

Grade: 1.5 (on a 1-10 scale)

3/11