A review by The New York Times of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s immigration policies indicates that he and his advisers disregarded early warnings regarding a potential surge in border crossings. This oversight may have facilitated an opportunity for former President Donald J. Trump to regain political traction and promote a more aggressive immigration stance.

In response to the findings, a spokesperson for Biden attributed the border crisis to Republican obstructionism, stating that once it became evident that Congress would not act, Biden took unilateral measures to address the situation.

Prior to Biden's inauguration, advisers cautioned that his proposed immigration approach could result in significant disorder at the border. In August 2020, while campaigning against Trump, Biden's policy team issued a memo highlighting that his immigration proposals, combined with existing migration pressures from the Trump administration and economic difficulties stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, could lead to a substantial increase in border crossings. The memo warned that such a surge could result in chaos and a humanitarian crisis, overwhelming processing capacities and jeopardizing the new administration's agenda. Despite these warnings, Biden and his close advisers did not implement the suggested measures, which included strategies to expedite the rejection of asylum claims.

As encounters at the border escalated at the beginning of Biden's term, policy advisers continued to advocate for a stronger focus on border enforcement and deterrence of migrants, indicating a miscalculation in the administration's approach to immigration policy.