The Biden Legacy on Immigration: A Complex Picture

Immigration has been a central issue for the Biden presidency, with the administration challenged by record levels of arrivals of asylum seekers and other migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border while also seeking to modernize the bureaucracy that manages the U.S. immigration system and rebuild a refugee resettlement system that had plunged to a record low under the prior administration. Sharply criticized by both the left and the right for its actions to manage the border—accused of being too hard and too soft—the administration was unable to tame the immigration issue, which became central to the 2024 national elections. This was despite a record number of immigration-related executive actions taken by President Joe Biden and federal agencies, outpacing what had been seen as the most activist presidency yet on immigration under Donald Trump.

Taking office amid a global pandemic that dramatically reshaped human mobility and economies and coming on the heels of an administration that viewed immigration chiefly as a threat, the Biden administration sought to set a new immigration agenda amid a rapidly changing global, regional, and national picture.

How did the administration meet this time of immense challenge? This MPI webinar examines the Biden record on border management, the legal immigration system, refugee resettlement, and other aspects of immigration. It featured findings from a new analysis of the Biden administration’s actions on immigration during its four years.