Undocumented immigrants have been surging to the U.S. border, some wearing T-shirts with the Biden campaign logo and the words “Please let us in!” What gave them the idea that they could just show up and come on in? President Joe Biden did.
Oh, Biden didn’t exactly say that. He said to not come now, as we rebuild the immigration system. But that isn’t the same as saying they can’t come illegally later. And since it implies that later on, whoever wants to come can, the migrants can reasonably assume that an arrival now without papers will eventually be overlooked.
Adding to that impression, Biden made a show on his first day in office of ditching five of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Sure enough, human smugglers began telling desperate Central Americans that Biden opened the door and the smugglers will get them through it for $6,000.
What did Biden think would happen? Officials at U.S. Customs and Border Protection warned the incoming administration of building pressure at the southern border. Fed by worsening poverty and gang violence in Central America and an improving U.S. economy, the rush had already begun in Donald Trump’s last months.
