Opinion Today: Biden and Harris didn’t need a border wall

Many perceive Trump as tougher on immigration, but the reality is more surprising.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 31, 2024 By Alexander Stockton Video Journalist, Opinion I found a video on TikTok that contradicts everything I'd heard about President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's handling of the border crisis. I was so intrigued that I made a video about it, which Times Opinion published yesterday. The original TikTok video shows an undocumented migrant, Cleyber, at the border. He wants into the United States, but he's decided he's not going to cross illegally. Instead, he's peacefully swinging in a hammock, telling other potential migrants not to cross, either. That confused me. Biden and Harris have been accused of enabling an open border. Record numbers of migrants poured across over the past three years, while the administration seemed to look the other way, or so the story went. Cleyber was just yards from the United States — his dream within his grasp. If the border truly is permeable, why wasn't he crossing it? In answering that question, I found that the narrative that's often spun about this administration's handling of the border crisis is completely wrong. Biden and Harris haven't ignored the issue. To my surprise, I discovered a campaign to secure the border that started the day they took office. In fact, they've often acted like conservatives, arguably fulfilling aspirations Donald Trump failed to achieve during his presidency. When voters have been polled on immigration, a majority said they trust Trump on the issue over Harris. But they might feel differently once they see why Cleyber decided not to cross the border. Check out the video to learn more. Watch the video: Let's Set the Record Straight on Biden, Harris and the Border Behind the scenes, the president and vice president conducted a campaign to get the crisis under control. By Alexander Stockton Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Guest Essay In Puerto Rico, a New Generation Votes for Dignity A new generation of Puerto Ricans, shaped by disaster and debt, is determined to reclaim the island's future. By Yarimar Bonilla More From Opinion Nicholas Kristof Don't Let Liberal Purity Elect Trump Even if you think Harris is flawed on the Middle East, don't try to punish the Democratic Party and risk a Trump election. By Nicholas Kristof Mara Gay In Georgia, Harris Supporters Pull Together and Fight the Odds It's not easy being a dot of blue in Trump country. By Mara Gay David Wallace-Wells The Election Looks Like an Intramural Squabble Between Billionaires Rich people are becoming polarized, just like everyone else. By David Wallace-Wells Pamela Paul There's No Escape at the Movies Watching "Conclave" and "Rumours," I realized I couldn't escape the real world after all. By Pamela Paul Carlos Lozada Donald and Melania Trump Were Made for Each Other The former first lady's new book shows that she still doesn't care. By Carlos Lozada Guest Essay The Music Industry Is Toxic. After P. Diddy, We Can Clean It Up. Music hasn't had its #MeToo moment. But a transformation in how the industry works means toxic gatekeepers no longer wield the power they once did. By Ty Stiklorius Guest Essay With Election Day Near, Here's a Reminder That a Second Trump Term Could Mean Mayhem Our tense democracy could lurch from being an illiberal republic to a dictatorship by any other name. By Jonathan Stevenson Frank Bruni Biden's Stake in This Election Is Like Nobody Else's Will he be remembered as American democracy's savior — or as a midwife to its ruin? By Frank Bruni Guest Essay Stop the Boycott of Israeli Culture An attack on culture divides the very people who should be in direct dialogue, reading each other's books. 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