Open Borders and National Sovereignty: The Trump and Biden Immigration Doctrines in Comparative Perspective

This chapter describes and compares the distinct Biden and Trump immigration doctrines, and evaluates their accomplishments. While it is impossible at this date to know the extent to which they succeeded in affecting the long-term direction of immigration policy, it is possible to detect some indications of lasting effects that will have long-term effects on our immigration system, on our relations with other nations, especially Mexico, and on how the world views the United States as an immigration destination. The Trump immigration doctrine is described as “Conservative American Nationalism.” The blueprint was presented to voters in a speech he gave in Phoenix, Arizona, on August 31, 2016, and was animated primarily by the notion that no country can remain a sovereign country without securing its borders, and that immigration policy should serve the interests of Americans, not special interests, immigrants, or other nations. Trump operated under the assumption that the border could be controlled, that better immigration regulation would enhance national security and benefit the economy, and that the United States should vigorously use diplomatic and economic leverage to incentivize other countries to prevent illegal migration. Notably, Trump did achieve a reduction in immigration during his presidency and an improvement in border security. Biden’s immigration doctrine was based on diametrically opposite assumptions: that immigration is an unqualified benefit to America; that strict enforcement of immigration laws is inhumane; that illegal immigrants should be allowed to remain; and that the only way to reduce illegal immigration is to increase legal pathways and improve conditions in sending countries. Biden’s actions have brought about one of the largest, fastest increases in immigration in U.S. history, although the pathways he established are temporary. Moreover, this influx of migrants has come at a significant political and security cost that has yet to be fully realized.