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The United States did not have an open border policy between 2021 and 2025.
The United States did not have an open border policy between 2021 and 2025.
The term "open border" implies unrestricted entry without enforcement, which does not align with the policies and practices in place during this period. Here's a summary based on available information:
Border Security and Enforcement
Border Security and Enforcement
Throughout 2021–2025, the U.S. maintained significant border security measures, including over 20,000 Border Patrol agents, extensive fencing, surveillance systems, and immigration checkpoints along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) consistently enforced immigration laws, with millions of apprehensions and removals of migrants attempting illegal crossings. For example, in fiscal year 2024, DHS completed over 685,000 removals and returns, more than any year since 2010
Title 42 and Asylum Restrictions
Title 42 and Asylum Restrictions
From 2021 to May 2023, the Biden administration continued the Trump-era Title 42 policy, which allowed rapid expulsion of migrants at the border due to public health concerns, resulting in over 2.7 million expulsions. After Title 42 ended, stricter asylum rules were implemented in June 2023, limiting eligibility for those crossing illegally and imposing higher screening standards. These measures led to a significant decline in migrant encounters, with a 29% drop from May to June 2024 and encounters reaching their lowest since January 2021.
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-june-2024-monthly-update
Presidential Proclamation (June 2024)
Presidential Proclamation (June 2024)
On June 4, 2024, President Biden issued Presidential Proclamation 10773, temporarily suspending entry for certain noncitizens crossing the southern border unlawfully, further tightening border control. This, along with a DHS-DOJ interim rule, reduced encounters by over 60% from May to December 2024, with November and December 2024 seeing the lowest levels since August 2020.
Criticism and Mischaracterizations
Criticism and Mischaracterizations
Critics, particularly from conservative circles, labeled Biden’s policies as "open border" due to high migrant encounters (e.g., nearly 250,000 in December 2023). However, experts like David J. Bier from the Cato Institute and Rebecca Hamlin from the University of Massachusetts argue this is a mischaracterization, as the border was heavily fortified and enforcement remained robust. The high numbers were driven by global migration trends and policies like Title 42 exemptions for certain groups, not a lack of control.
https://www.axios.com/2023/10/17/us-mexico-border-open-borders-myth
Legal Pathways and Exceptions
Legal Pathways and Exceptions
The Biden administration promoted legal migration pathways, such as the CBP One app for scheduling asylum appointments at ports of entry, and exempted groups like unaccompanied children and trafficking victims from some restrictions. These measures aimed to manage migration humanely but did not equate to an open border, as unlawful crossings faced consequences like deportation and a five-year reentry ban under Title https://www.dhs.gov/archive/securing-border
Data Trends
Data Trends
Migrant encounters peaked in late 2023 but plummeted in 2024, with August 2024 recording 58,038 encounters, a 77% drop from December 2023’s high. By early 2025, daily encounters averaged below 1,500, reflecting tightened enforcement.
In summary,
In summary,
while the Biden administration faced challenges with high migrant flows, the U.S. border was not "open." Robust enforcement, policy changes, and legal pathways demonstrate a controlled, if strained, border management system. Claims of an open border often reflect political rhetoric rather than reality.
https://www.axios.com/2023/10/17/us-mexico-border-open-borders-myth
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