Biden claims border crossings in US were lower under his administration: ‘That's a fact’

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA: Former President Joe Biden claimed that “border crossings in the United States were lower” during his administration as he blamed President Donald Trump for not securing the border properly.

While speaking to the South Carolina Democratic Party on Friday, February 27, in Columbia, the former commander-in-chief said, “The day I left office, border crossings in the United States were lower than the day that I entered an office inherited from Trump. He is — I won't say it. That's just a fact.”

Biden also hailed himself for making the US the “strongest economy," adding, “On the day I left office, I handed Trump the strongest economy in the world. In the world, that's not hyperbole. That's a fact!”

Biden's way of handling immigration crisis was starkly different

The Democratic politician’s comment comes amid Trump's immigration crackdown, which has been heavily criticized and given rise to nationwide protests. Two American citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers in January in Minneapolis, Minnesota, amid ICE operations.

Biden’s way of handling the immigration crisis was very different. During his tenure, he “signed Presidential Proclamation 10773 to temporarily suspend and limit the entry of certain noncitizens at the southern border because there were high numbers of encounters straining the US migration system.”

Biden's intention was to send out a message to migrants to “use safe, lawful, and orderly pathways to come to the United States.” 

Referring to the current situation in the US, the former president said during Friday's speech, "My friends, I can't sugarcoat this. These are dark days."

Trump's State of the Union claims about illegal immigration 

During Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday, he claimed that "in the past nine months, zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States."

However, several fact-checking websites have flagged this as false, but the reports do say that border crossings are down drastically.

Data from US Customs and Border Protection show that in 2024, the final full year of former President Biden’s term, authorities recorded more than 1.5 million encounters with migrants attempting to cross the border illegally.

In 2025, the first complete year of President Trump’s second term, that figure fell sharply to just under 28,000.

The downward trend has continued into 2026. However, the numbers have not reached “zero,” despite the president’s repeated claims.

The data indicate that attempted crossings are still occurring, and by the nature of border enforcement, it would be impossible to determine whether some individuals entered without detection.