The U.S.-Mexico border is a chaotic mess. In the fiscal year ending in September, Border Patrol had 2,045,838 encounters with unlawful border crossers—the second highest in history.
There are three explanations for the border chaos. The first is the incredible U.S. demand for immigrant labor. Since President Joe Biden took office, there have been an average of about 10.4 million nonfarm job openings per month compared to just 6.7 million during the Trump administration. Second, U.S. immigration laws allow in very few legal immigrants. Third, the Biden administration has broadcast mixed messages that sometimes unintentionally encourage dangerous travel to the border.
