For four years, the American people watched in disbelief as the foundational principle of national sovereignty—the integrity of our borders—was systematically dismantled.
As we look at the current efforts in 2026 to restore order and deport those who flouted our laws, it is essential to perform a post-mortem on the previous administration’s strategy.
It was not a series of unfortunate accidents; it was a crisis by design, fueled by a radical departure from proven deterrence in favor of a “welcoming” posture that invited lawlessness.
A Problem of Their Own Making
Now, in 2026, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE finally move to restore the rule of law, we are witnessing a breathtaking display of political amnesia. Democratic lawmakers, who spent years facilitating a borderless status quo, are now crying foul at the very enforcement their own negligence made necessary.
Let’s be clear: If these lawmakers had not allowed—and effectively welcomed—the historic influx of millions of illegal immigrants, ICE would not have to remove them today.
By dismantling the “Remain in Mexico” policy and suspending deportations in 2021, they created a massive backlog of millions of individuals living in the interior without legal status. To complain about the “disruption” of enforcement operations now is like a homeowner leaving the front door wide open for years and then complaining that the police are making too much noise while clearing out the squatters.
The Humanitarian Silence: The Lost Children
Perhaps the most damning indictment of the Biden administration is the humanitarian disaster they claimed to care about, yet conveniently ignored. While the Left decried “kids in cages” under the first Trump administration, they have been remarkably silent about the hundreds of thousands of migrant children lost within the system during the Biden years.
Inspector General reports from 2019 through 2023 confirmed that the government lost track of over 320,000 unaccompanied minors.
By prioritizing the “assembly line” speed of releasing children to unvetted sponsors to avoid bad optics at the border, the Biden administration essentially handed these vulnerable kids over to traffickers and exploitative labor rings.
The silence from the “human rights” crowd as these children vanished into the shadows of the American interior is a permanent stain on their moral credibility.
The “open-border” agenda did more than just strain our legal system; it attacked the pocketbooks of every American family. While the previous administration dismissed concerns about the economic impact, the data from 2021–2024 tells a different story:
- Housing Market Strain: A 2025 HUD report, “Worst Case Housing Needs,” finally admitted that the flood of millions of foreign-born individuals under the Biden administration contributed directly to skyrocketing housing costs. In states like California and New York, the influx accounted for nearly 100% of rental price growth in certain sectors. When you add six million people to the population in less than four years, you explode the demand for affordable housing, pricing out American citizens and young families.
- The Food and Service Tax: The surge didn’t just affect rent. The sudden increase in population put unprecedented pressure on local supply chains. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and independent analysts noted that the net fiscal burden on state and local governments—reaching nearly $10 billion in 2023 alone—forced local governments to raise taxes and diverted resources away from food assistance programs for the American poor to provide “shelter and related services” for illegal entrants.
Today’s critics point to targeted operations in “sanctuary cities” as evidence of overreach. Yet, it is their own refusal to cooperate with federal authorities that has forced ICE to conduct more visible, neighborhood-level operations.
By shielding criminal illegal immigrants and withholding local police cooperation, these leaders have directly authored the very “chaos” they now decry for the cameras. They opened the floodgates; they don’t get to complain about the mop.
Global Comparison: Penalties for Illegal Entry (2026)
While the U.S. has spent years debating “compassion,” other major powers treat illegal entry as a serious threat to national security.
| Country/Region | Primary Penalties for Illegal Entry/Stay |
| Russia | Under the 2025 “Deportation Regime,” illegal residents face asset confiscation, heavy fines, and placement in a “controlled persons” register leading to expulsion. |
| China | Fines up to 10,000 RMB, detention for 5 to 15 days, and immediate deportation. Organizers of illegal crossings can face life imprisonment. |
| European Union | The 2026 Migration Pact allows for “return hubs,” detention up to 6 months, and entry bans of up to 10 years for those who bypass official border checks. |
| Mexico | Administrative detention and immediate repatriation; entry is handled as a civil violation but results in swift removal from the interior. |
Of course, until very recently, the United States topped this list of lenient nations—having spent four years under the Biden administration essentially running a global concierge service for anyone with a pair of walking shoes and a map.
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