The Biden admin was a disgrace. But their failures run deeper than anyone thought.
That’s why Joe Biden ran for the hills when Tom Homan shared this announcement on Fox News.
Tom Homan, the border czar, sharply criticized the Biden administration for misleading the public about the vetting of illegal immigrants, spotlighting the recent arrest of a notorious MS-13 gang leader. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended Melvin Alejandro Varela Perez, one of El Salvador’s most wanted criminals, in Omaha, Nebraska. Homan, speaking on America Reports, pointed out that Perez’s entry and parole into the U.S. after illegally crossing in 2023 exposes the administration’s failure to properly screen immigrants over the past four years.
Homan argued that the Biden administration falsely claimed thorough vetting of all entrants, despite lacking access to foreign criminal databases. He emphasized that critical information about Perez was publicly available, yet overlooked, as the administration prioritized rapid processing and release of migrants to avoid overcrowding at the border. This approach, Homan asserted, allowed the administration to misleadingly claim the border was secure while neglecting proper scrutiny.
The lack of rigorous vetting, according to Homan, enabled dangerous criminals, including m*rderers and r*pists, to enter and remain in the U.S. He accused the Biden administration of gross incompetence, noting that their policies led to an unprecedented influx of hazardous individuals into American communities. Homan further criticized former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for restricting ICE arrests to only those with serious convictions, severely limiting enforcement capabilities.
Perez faces charges in El Salvador for aggravated homicide of five victims, ties to a terrorist organization, attempted homicide, and deprivation of liberty, ICE reported. Alongside him, agents arrested Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa, an MS-13 associate linked to human trafficking, homicides, and extortion.
Since President Trump’s second term began, ICE has arrested over 273,000 illegal immigrants by June 30, with 70% having criminal convictions or pending charges, per DHS data. Deportations have also surged, with more than 239,000 removals in the same period. Meanwhile, border encounters dropped significantly from 240,924 in May 2024 under Biden to 29,502 in May 2025, reflecting a stark shift in policy effectiveness.
The dangers of lax enforcement were further highlighted by an attack on an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, where nearly a dozen armed assailants injured a local officer. This incident illustrates the security risks tied to the Biden administration’s border management approach.
Biden Administration’s Border Security Failures
The Biden administration’s handling of border security and immigration enforcement has drawn widespread criticism for its perceived failures, particularly in vetting and controlling illegal immigration. Over the course of Joe Biden’s presidency, the U.S.-Mexico border saw unprecedented levels of migrant encounters, totaling over 10.3 million from fiscal year 2021 to 2024, compared to 3.1 million during the previous four years under Trump. This surge overwhelmed Border Patrol resources, with up to 80% of agents diverted from patrol duties to process migrants, leaving vast stretches of the border vulnerable to cartels and criminal activity.
A key point of contention is the administration’s vetting process—or lack thereof—for migrants entering the U.S. illegally. Critics, including former border officials, argue that the focus on rapid processing and release, driven by a desire to avoid overcrowding at detention facilities, compromised national security. The arrest of MS-13 leader Melvin Alejandro Varela Perez, who entered the U.S. in 2023 and was paroled without adequate screening, exemplifies this issue. Publicly available information about his criminal status in El Salvador was ignored, allowing a dangerous individual to roam freely until his recent apprehension.
The Biden administration’s policies, such as the termination of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and the pause on interior ICE arrests, further exacerbated the crisis. The MPP, which required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico during case processing, had reduced illegal crossings to a 40-year low under Trump. Its cancellation, alongside a 100-day moratorium on deportations, signaled a more permissive approach, encouraging a spike in crossings. Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin noted that migrants believed the change in administration meant an “open border,” contributing to record encounters.
ICE’s enforcement capabilities were severely curtailed under Biden. Guidelines issued in 2021 prioritized arrests of only those with serious criminal convictions, leaving agents unable to act against individuals with pending charges or warrants. This led to a historic low in ICE removals, with only 113,000 administrative arrests in fiscal year 2024, compared to over 151,000 in the first 100 days of Trump’s second term. The backlog of immigration court cases ballooned to 3.7 million, further delaying deportations and allowing many migrants to remain in the U.S. pending hearings.
The administration’s reliance on the CBP One app, intended to streamline asylum processing, has been criticized as a tool that effectively normalized illegal entry. Over 170,000 migrants were processed through the app in just six months, with critics arguing it facilitated mass parole rather than enforcing strict vetting. This approach allowed individuals like Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirino, an alleged gang leader, and Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, a Peruvian wanted for 23 m*rders, to enter and be released into the U.S.
Biden’s executive actions, such as the June 2024 proclamation limiting asylum eligibility when daily encounters exceeded 2,500, came late in his term and were seen as insufficient to address the crisis. While encounters dropped by 60% from May to December 2024, critics attribute this to Mexico’s increased enforcement rather than U.S. policy shifts. The administration’s claim of a secure border was undermined by the estimated two million “gotaways”—migrants who evaded apprehension—since 2021, posing unknown risks to public safety.
The human cost of these policies was stark. Reports highlighted widespread exploitation of unaccompanied minors, with 85,000 of 300,000 children placed with sponsors unaccounted for after 30 days. Allegations of labor trafficking and abuse have underlined the administration’s failure to protect vulnerable migrants. Additionally, the surge in fentanyl trafficking, linked to cartel activity at the porous border, contributed to over 100,000 overdose deaths in a single year.
The Biden administration’s defenders argue it faced unprecedented global migration pressures and took steps to modernize legal immigration pathways. However, these efforts were overshadowed by the chaotic border situation, which fueled public discontent. Polls showed 27% of Americans viewed immigration as the top issue in 2024, with two-thirds disapproving of Biden’s handling of the border. The administration’s late attempts at reform, including increased expedited removals, failed to quell criticism from both Republicans and some Democrats.
The contrast with the early months of Trump’s second term is striking. Border encounters plummeted to 29,502 in May 2025, a 95% drop from Biden’s May 2024 figures. ICE’s aggressive operations, including the arrest of 600 Tren de Aragua members and thousands of MS-13 affiliates, highlight a renewed focus on enforcement. Critics of Biden argue that his administration’s policies not only failed to secure the border but actively incentivized illegal immigration, leaving a legacy of insecurity and strained resources.
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