## NY Times editorial director admits Biden’s immigration policy was ‘never what most American voters wanted’

The Times' David Leonhardt detailed how Biden's immigration policy was far more radical than Obama's.

David Leonhardt, who has been running the Times’ "The Morning" newsletter for the last five years, told The New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner that the Biden administration’s historically lax immigration standards were one of the top three reasons the Democratic Party lost the 2024 election to President Donald Trump.

> “It was unpopular from the beginning. And it happened in large part—not exclusively, but in large part—because of the policies they enacted,” Leonhardt .

He acknowledged that this loose immigration policy was different from former President Barack Obama's, who at least held up the importance of border security and deporting criminals.

> “Under Obama, in 2012, it’s this really balanced approach. It brags about having the border be more secure than at any point in the previous decades. It talks about deporting criminals who endanger our communities. It also, of course, talks about this being a nation of immigrants and needing to provide a citizenship pathway for undocumented people who follow the law. And it celebrates Dreamers and all of that stuff.”

> “And by 2020, there’s not a single sentence in the Democratic Party platform on immigration that is about border security,” Leonhardt continued, adding that there is “no evidence” in any polling ever that Americans supported doing away with border security.

He said Biden pushed the policy "to follow the wishes of very progressive, largely affluent members," but noted that Obama’s "moderation is much more popular than Biden’s more radical position" among voters.

> “We had eight million net immigrants come into the country. It appears that about five million of them entered illegally, a vastly faster pace than under Trump or Obama.”

He acknowledged that this immigration record was sought after by Biden, telling The New Yorker that Biden was saying during his 2020 campaign that "he wanted more people to come to the country." He then began "loosening a whole bunch of policies" once in office.

> "Almost immediately, immigration surged," the journalist said, noting that "it was never what most American voters wanted. It particularly was not what lower-income voters across races wanted."

Leonhardt said this loose immigration policy was different from former President Barack Obama's, who at least held up the importance of border security and deporting criminals.

> “Under Obama, in 2012, it’s this really balanced approach. It brags about having the border be more secure than at any point in the previous decades. It talks about deporting criminals who endanger our communities. It also, of course, talks about this being a nation of immigrants and needing to provide a citizenship pathway for undocumented people who follow the law. And it celebrates Dreamers and all of that stuff.”

> “And by 2020, there’s not a single sentence in the Democratic Party platform on immigration that is about border security,” Leonhardt continued, adding that there is “no evidence” in any polling ever that Americans supported doing away with border security.

He said Biden pushed the policy "to follow the wishes of very progressive, largely affluent members," but noted that Obama’s "moderation is much more popular than Biden’s more radical position" among voters.

> “We had eight million net immigrants come into the country. It appears that about five million of them entered illegally, a vastly faster pace than under Trump or Obama.”

He acknowledged that this immigration record was sought after by Biden, telling The New Yorker that Biden was saying during his 2020 campaign that "he wanted more people to come to the country." He then began "loosening a whole bunch of policies" once in office.

> "Almost immediately, immigration surged," the journalist said, noting that "it was never what most American voters wanted. It particularly was not what lower-income voters across races wanted."

Leonhardt said this loose immigration policy was different from former President Barack Obama's, who at least held up the importance of border security and deporting criminals.

> “Under Obama, in 2012, it’s this really balanced approach. It brags about having the border be more secure than at any point in the previous decades. It talks about deporting criminals who endanger our communities. It also, of course, talks about this being a nation of immigrants and needing to provide a citizenship pathway for undocumented people who follow the law. And it celebrates Dreamers and all of that stuff.”

> “And by 2020, there’s not a single sentence in the Democratic Party platform on immigration that is about border security,” Leonhardt continued, adding that there is “no evidence” in any polling ever that Americans supported doing away with border security.

He said Biden pushed the policy "to follow the wishes of very progressive, largely affluent members," but noted that Obama’s "moderation is much more popular than Biden’s more radical position" among voters.

> “We had eight million net immigrants come into the country. It appears that about five million of them entered illegally, a vastly faster pace than under Trump or Obama.”

He acknowledged that this immigration record was sought after by Biden, telling The New Yorker that Biden was saying during his 2020 campaign that "he wanted more people to come to the country." He then began "loosening a whole bunch of policies" once in office.

> "Almost immediately, immigration surged," the journalist said, noting that "it was never what most American voters wanted. It particularly was not what lower-income voters across races wanted."

Leonhardt said this loose immigration policy was different from former President Barack Obama's, who at least held up the importance of border security and deporting criminals.

> “Under Obama, in 2012, it’s this really balanced approach. It brags about having the border be more secure than at any point in the previous decades. It talks about deporting criminals who endanger our communities. It also, of course, talks about this being a nation of immigrants and needing to provide a citizenship pathway for undocumented people who follow the law. And it celebrates Dreamers and all of that stuff.”

> “And by 2020, there’s not a single sentence in the Democratic Party platform on immigration that is about border security,” Leonhardt continued, adding that there is “no evidence” in any polling ever that Americans supported doing away with border security.

He said Biden pushed the policy "to follow the wishes of very progressive, largely affluent members," but noted that Obama’s "moderation is much more popular than Biden’s more radical position" among voters.

> “We had eight million net immigrants come into the country. It appears that about five million of them entered illegally, a vastly faster pace than under Trump or Obama.”

He acknowledged that this immigration record was sought after by Biden, telling The New Yorker that Biden was saying during his 2020 campaign that "he wanted more people to come to the country." He then began "loosening a whole bunch of policies" once in office.

> "Almost immediately, immigration surged," the journalist said, noting that "it was never what most American voters wanted. It particularly was not what lower-income voters across races wanted."

Leonhardt said this loose immigration policy was different from former President Barack Obama's, who at least held up the importance of border security and deporting criminals.

> “Under Obama, in 2012, it’s this really balanced approach. It brags about having the border be more secure than at any point in the previous decades. It talks about deporting criminals who endanger our communities. It also, of course, talks about this being a nation of immigrants and needing to provide a citizenship pathway for undocumented people who follow the law. And it celebrates Dreamers and all of that stuff.”

> “And by 2020, there’s not a single sentence in the Democratic Party platform on immigration that is about border security,” Leonhardt continued, adding that there is “no evidence” in any polling ever that Americans supported doing away with border security.

He said Biden pushed the policy "to follow the wishes of very progressive, largely affluent members," but noted that Obama’s "moderation is much more popular than Biden’s more radical position" among voters.

> “We had eight million net immigrants come into the country. It appears that about five million of them entered illegally, a vastly faster pace than under Trump or Obama.”

He acknowledged that this immigration record was sought after by Biden, telling The New Yorker that Biden was saying during his 2020 campaign that "he wanted more people to come to the country." He then began "loosening a whole bunch of policies" once in office.

> "Almost immediately, immigration surged," the journalist said, noting that "it was never what most American voters wanted. It particularly was not what lower-income voters across races wanted."

Leonhardt said this loose immigration policy was different from former President Barack Obama's, who at least held up the importance of border security and deporting criminals.

> “Under Obama, in 2012, it’s this really balanced approach. It brags about having the border be more secure than at any point in the previous decades. It talks about deporting criminals who endanger our communities. It also, of course, talks about this being a nation of immigrants and needing to provide a citizenship pathway for undocumented people who follow the law. And it celebrates Dreamers and all of that stuff.”

> “And by 2020, there’s not a single sentence in the Democratic Party platform on immigration that is about border security,” Leonhardt continued, adding that there is “no evidence” in any polling ever that Americans supported doing away with border security.

He said Biden pushed the policy "to follow the wishes of very progressive, largely affluent members," but noted that Obama’s "moderation is much more popular than Biden’s more radical position" among voters.

> “We had eight million net immigrants come into the country. It appears that about five million of them entered illegally, a vastly faster pace than under Trump or Obama.”

He acknowledged that this immigration record was sought after by Biden, telling The New Yorker that Biden was saying during his 2020 campaign that "he wanted more people to come to the country." He then began "loosening a whole bunch of policies" once in office.

> "Almost immediately, immigration surged," the journalist said, noting that "it was never what most American voters wanted. It particularly was not what lower-income voters across races wanted."

Leonhardt said this loose immigration policy was different from former President Barack Obama's, who at least held up the importance of border security and deporting criminals.

> “Under Obama, in 2012, it’s this really balanced approach. It brags about having the border be more secure than at any point in the previous decades. It talks about deporting criminals who endanger our communities. It also, of course, talks about this being a nation of immigrants and needing to provide a citizenship pathway for undocumented people who follow the law. And it celebrates Dreamers and all of that stuff.”

> “And by 2020, there’s not a single sentence in the Democratic Party platform on immigration that is about border security,” Leonhardt continued, adding that there is “no evidence” in any polling ever that Americans supported doing away with border security.

He said Biden pushed the policy "to follow the wishes of very progressive, largely affluent members," but noted that Obama’s "moderation is much more popular than Biden’s more radical position" among voters.

> “We had eight million net immigrants come into the country. It appears that about five million of them entered illegally, a vastly faster pace than under Trump or Obama.”

He acknowledged that this immigration record was sought after by Biden, telling The New Yorker that Biden was saying during his 2020 campaign that "he wanted more people to come to the country." He then began "loosening a whole bunch of policies" once in office.

> "Almost immediately, immigration surged," the journalist said, noting that "it was never what most American voters wanted. It particularly was not what lower-income voters across races wanted."

David Leonhardt is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.

## Related Topics

* 
* 
* 
* 
```