The Biden administration thumbed their noses at this idea.
Thanks, Joe.
AI Overview
Under former President Joe Biden, immigration enforcement involved a shift in priorities, leading to record high border encounters and an emphasis on legal pathways, while resulting in a significant increase in overall deportations/expulsions by the end of his term, though interior arrests of non-priority individuals decreased.
Key Policies and Shifts
Enforcement Priorities: The Biden administration directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to focus interior enforcement efforts primarily on individuals posing threats to national security, border security, or public safety (e.g., serious criminals and recent border-crossers). This resulted in fewer arrests and deportations for less serious offenses compared to the prior administration.
Border Wall Construction Halted: On his first day in office, President Biden issued a proclamation to pause and ultimately end construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, redirecting the funds.
Title 42 and MPP: The administration initially sought to end the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP, or "Remain in Mexico" policy) and the Title 42 public health expulsion authority. However, due to litigation and ongoing border challenges, Title 42 remained in effect until May 2023, and MPP was briefly reinstated before being wound down in August 2022.
Legal Pathways & Humanitarian Parole:
The administration expanded legal avenues for migration, including the use of the CBP One mobile app for scheduling asylum appointments at ports of entry, and created humanitarian parole programs for migrants from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Asylum Restrictions: After Title 42 ended, new asylum restrictions were implemented, which presumed migrants crossing the border unlawfully were ineligible for asylum unless they used a legal pathway or demonstrated exceptionally compelling circumstances.
Border Shutdown Executive Order: In June 2024, Biden authorized an executive order to temporarily shut down the southern border to asylum seekers if the average daily encounters exceeded a certain threshold (2,500 per day in a given week), allowing for immediate removal of those without a "credible fear" of persecution.
Enforcement Results and Statistics
Border Encounters: The U.S.-Mexico border experienced record-high migrant encounters, reaching nearly 2.5 million in fiscal year (FY) 2023, though this number includes repeat crossers.
Deportations and Expulsions: The total number of deportations and expulsions under the Biden administration was substantial. Combining Title 42 expulsions with formal removals, the administration oversaw over 4.4 million repatriations, more than any single presidential term since the George W. Bush era.
In FY 2024, deportations surged to a 10-year high, with 271,000 unauthorized immigrants removed, surpassing the Trump administration's highest annual total.
Interior Enforcement: Interior arrests by ICE decreased significantly due to the narrowed enforcement priorities. Arrests of "criminal aliens" dropped by 57% and deportations of this group fell by 67% in the first three fiscal years compared to the Trump administration.
Legal Immigration: Legal immigration levels and naturalizations reached new highs, with nearly 3.5 million immigrants becoming U.S. citizens during his term and refugee caps increased.
AI Overview
Estimates of the net increase in the unauthorized immigrant population during the Biden administration vary among research organizations, but most indicate a significant surge. The total current unauthorized immigrant population is estimated to be between approximately 13.7 million and 18.6 million as of late 2024/early 2025.
Net Increase
The net increase refers to new arrivals minus those who left the U.S. (emigration, deportations, or adjustments to legal status) or died.
Pew Research Center estimated an increase of 3.5 million between January 2021 and the end of 2023.
The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which adjusts for potential undercounts, estimated the population grew by about 2.5 million (unadjusted) or possibly more between January 2021 and October 2023.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates a total increase of 4.1 million from December 2020 to
March 2025.
One analysis suggests the net increase in the illegal immigrant population could be in the range of 5.5 to 6 million during the Biden administration based on exceeding pre-2020 immigration trends.
Current Total Population
Estimates for the total number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. also vary depending on methodology and the time frame of data collection, with more recent estimates from 2024 and 2025 reflecting the significant recent growth.
Pew Research Center estimated the population at a record 14 million in 2023.
The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated the population at 13.7 million in mid-2023.
FAIR released a 2025 report estimating the total number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. as high as 18.6 million as of March 2025.
Some analyses, such as one from the Heritage Foundation, estimate the number to be around 15.9 million after accounting for some attrition from initial inflows.
These figures are estimates, as accurately counting an undocumented population is inherently difficult due to the challenges of data collection.
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