U.S. Department of Homeland Security asylum statistics

Biden's Administration Sees Record 8 Million Migrant Surge, 60% Unauthorized

Dec 11, 2024, 12:50 PM

The United States has experienced an unprecedented surge in immigration under President Joe Biden's administration, surpassing historical records from the late 1800s and early 1900s, according to a New York Times analysis of government data. Over the past four years, the country has seen an estimated net migration of over 8 million people, with approximately 60% of these entrants arriving without legal authorization, as per a Goldman Sachs report. This influx includes at least 5.8 million individuals seeking asylum or other migratory protections, as reported by the Migration Policy Institute. Critics have accused the Biden administration of being weak on immigration, with policies that have strained state and local social services and sparked debates on national security, given the entry of over 1.7 million immigrants from countries deemed security threats by the Department of Homeland Security. The administration has made a record 605 executive actions on immigration, touching virtually every aspect of the sprawling US immigration system.