Biden transformed pro-immigrant Democrats into tough border enforcers.

From Sanctuary to Crisis: How Democrats’ Immigration Policies Have Shifted

No Human Being is Illegal, Democratic Politicians Said. All Migrants are Welcome, They Declared. Then Joe Biden Became President, and Border Crossings Spiked to Record Highs.

Many of those same Democrats who once declared that all migrants are welcome are now singing a different tune. They are declaring that they can’t possibly accept any more migrants and are embracing the same Republican-favored responses they recently decried as racist and cruel.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul

New York Governor Kathy Hochul was narrowly elected last year as an outspoken supporter of New York’s “sanctuary” policies to protect illegal immigrants from deportation or prosecution under federal law. But with hundreds of migrants arriving in New York City each day following the end of Title 42 expulsions, Hochul warned over the weekend that New York has a migrant “crisis” and can’t take any more.

• New York has always been a refuge for those seeking a better life
• Hochul warned over the weekend that New York has a migrant “crisis” and can’t take any more

New York City Mayor Eric Adams

Before and after assuming office in 2022, Adams celebrated migrants’ contributions to New York City and pledged to expand protections and benefits for illegal aliens. More recently, though, Adams has said “there is no room in New York” for additional migrants and publicly blasted the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis.

• “There is no room in New York” for additional migrants
• Adams publicly blasted the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser

In 2018, Bowser reaffirmed Washington, D.C.’s “sanctuary city” status and denounced deportations of local illegal immigrants under then-president Donald Trump. But when border-state Republican governors began busing migrants to the U.S. capital last year, Bowser asked the Pentagon to activate the National Guard.

• Bowser asked the Pentagon to activate the National Guard
• Bowser declared a public health emergency to “allow people to move on to their final destination”

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock

In 2018, Hancock tweeted “love and a clear message to immigrants that #Denver is an open and welcoming city.” But last week, the mayor defended the city’s decision to cut services to certain migrants, saying that up to 400 people were arriving each day and that “our reserves are not bottomless.”

• The mayor defended the city’s decision to cut services to certain migrants
• “Our reserves are not bottomless”

Colorado Governor Jared Polis

Polis said in 2019 that Trump’s planned immigration raids, including in Denver, “make our communities less safe” and that “Colorado celebrates our immigrant communities.” But it turned out that his idea of helping was busing migrants to New York and Chicago, where he claimed they really wanted to be.

• Polis bused migrants to New York and Chicago
• Polis claimed they really wanted to be in New York and Chicago

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot

On her reelection campaign website, Lightfoot boasted that as mayor she ended “collaboration” with federal immigration authorities and gave illegal immigrants access to city benefits. In her final weeks in office, Lightfoot said the city was “completely tapped out” and then declared a state of emergency.

• Lightfoot ended “collaboration” with federal immigration authorities
• Lightfoot declared a state of emergency

Vice President Kamala Harris

As a 2020 presidential candidate, Harris cited Trump’s immigration policies as proof that he is “racist” and endorsed full government health care coverage for illegal immigrants. Now that she’s veep, though, Harris has broken with her progressive allies by acknowledging there is a border.

• Harris endorsed full government health care coverage for illegal immigrants
• Harris has broken with her progressive allies by acknowledging there is a border

President Joe Biden

Biden campaigned on undoing the “moral failure” and “national shame” of Trump’s immigration regime. As president, Biden did roll back many of Trump’s immigration policies. But as illegal immigration began rising, Biden left others in place, and last week, he implemented limitations on asylum seekers that are nearly identical to those that he condemned Trump for innovating.

• Biden campaigned on undoing the “moral failure” and “national shame” of Trump’s immigration regime
• Biden implemented limitations on asylum seekers that are nearly identical to those that he condemned Trump for innovating

Since Title 42 expired on Thursday, the border crisis has unexpectedly eased, in part because of new restrictions and tough talk from the Biden administration. But underlying conditions remained largely unchanged.

According to CBP numbers obtained by the Washington Times, Customs and Border Patrol has released nearly 7 out of 10 illegal immigrants, a slight higher rate than just before the end of Title 42.

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