Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) tried to downplay border security challenges by suggesting the crisis was just as severe under former President Donald Trump. Lieu pointed to a New York Times headline from 2019 that highlighted the border reaching a “breaking point” after 76,000 illegal immigrants crossed in a month, insinuating that the situation was equally dire at that time. However, Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, who frequently documents the border crisis, countered Lieu’s claim by pointing out that the current situation far surpasses what was happening in 2019. Melugin noted that the border is on pace to hit 300,000 illegal immigrants in one month, compared to an average of 76,000 per month in 2019. These numbers reveal that the crisis is roughly four times worse now than it was under Trump.
Additionally, the New York Times article Lieu referenced also noted Trump’s efforts to build a border wall and emphasized that illegal border crossings were not at historically high levels under his administration. This demonstrates that the current crisis is unprecedented, with illegal border crossings averaging 206,305 per month in fiscal year 2023 compared to 81,459 in the fiscal year cited by the New York Times article. Furthermore, under President Bill Clinton in 2000, the number of illegal immigrants crossing the border hit 1.64 million, which is significantly lower than the numbers seen under Biden.
The comparison also extends to border security measures, as there were zero IEDs located at the border in 2019, while an internal memo from CBP issued under Trump mentioned the discovery of 10 IEDs near Tucson, Arizona, found by the Mexican military. Trump’s campaign trail promise to send illegal immigrants “straight back home” highlights the stark contrast in approach between his administration and the current one.
In light of these facts, it becomes clear that the current border crisis is unprecedented and demands attention. Representative Lieu’s attempt to downplay the severity of the situation does not stand up to scrutiny and highlights the urgent need for real solutions.
