With President Joe Biden’s term kicking into full gear, Biden will be responsible for traditional stances as the leader of the nation, but he will also be balancing the more recently urgent and controversial matter of immigration.Border crossings have been at a record high and are expected to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Despite the Biden administration’s best efforts to make it easier for migrants to cross legally, current policies have not been able to alleviate the threat of illegal crossings.
This poses a challenge not only for the Biden administration, but for the 2024 election in general. If Biden is unable to effectively address this pressing issue, it could hurt him in the election and threaten any chance of a second term. As the president enters the midpoint of his term, this sense of urgency to course correct will become increasingly critical.
The challenge for Biden’s national security team over the coming months is to find a way to take control of immigration systems and discourage illegal crossings. This could involve revisiting asylum policies, in addition to increasing budget funding for immigration processing. It could also require a better understanding of the desperate circumstances most migrants are fleeing from in order to determine an appropriate solution.
The Biden administration is striving to ensure humane and accessible solutions to illegal border crossings, but the challenge remains: how to make positive progress in the face of an overwhelming, record-breaking wave of illegal immigration? Over the next four years, Biden will need to maintain a delicate balance between compassion for migrants and careful regulation in order to take a firm stance on border control. The burden of managing this delicate situation is something Biden will have to weigh on his shoulders over the course of his term and through the 2024 election.
