Key Takeaways:
– ICE Chief Patrick Lechleitner says the Biden administration could have done more to secure the US southern border.
– Lechleitner criticizes Biden for taking too long to put an executive order in place to strengthen the border.
– He alleges the Biden administration lacked transparency in communicating the full scope of the border crisis.
– With the return of Donald Trump to Presidency, there are plans to put a new immigration team in place.
Beginning of a New Chapter in Immigration Policy
As the White House prepares for a change of hands, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Acting Director Patrick Lechleitner shares his views on President Biden’s approach to immigration policies. Serving at ICE since July 2023, Lechleitner argues that Biden could have been more proactive in deterring illegal immigration and bolstering border security.
According to Lechleitner, more resources should have been allotted to both Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE. This would have enabled the agencies to handle more individuals through the non-detained docket.
The Biden Administration’s Immigration Tactics
As soon as Biden stepped into the Oval Office, he began undoing the enforcement mechanisms that Donald Trump’s administration had put in place. In just his first year as President, Biden implemented 296 executive actions on immigration. Of these, 89 were directed at overturning or starting the process of dismantling Trump’s established policies.
Lechleitner signals his disapproval of how long it took Biden to act on border security. It wasn’t until mid-2024 that Biden rolled out an executive order aimed at solidifying the U.S.-Mexico border. It took more time for this order to have an impact, resulting in reduced migrant encounters.
The Outcomes and Consequences
Despite the eventual reduction in crossings, the years 2023 and 2024 still entered the books as the worst and second worst years, respectively, for illegal alien encounters in the US. Approximately 8.5 million encounters took place at the U.S.-Mexico border under Biden’s watch.
Lechleitner believes that if the Biden Administration had acted sooner, the DHS might have been able to detain and remove more people, and the immigration problem could have been better managed.
Quieting the Voices
Lechleitner’s discontent extends beyond just policy decisions. He accuses the Biden administration of stifling transparency on issues related to the border crisis. According to him, the administration went as far as canceling scheduled press conferences meant to shed light on the efforts of ICE and CBP.
Lechleitner’s sentiments echo that of retired Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott, who also criticized the administration’s attempts to hide the severity of the border crisis.
Looking Forward: A New Immigration Team
With President-elect Donald Trump readying to return to power, there are plans to stir up the immigration department. Tom Homan, former ICE chief, is lined up to serve as border czar, overseeing sweeping national deportation operations.
To bolster the new team, South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem has been nominated to lead the Department of Homeland Security, with Caleb Vitello poised to run ICE and Rodney Scott set to oversee Customs and Border Protection.
We reached out to the White House for a comment but no response has been received yet. With this heralding a new chapter in immigration policy, it remains to be seen how the new administration’s strategies will pan out.