The man once tasked with overseeing Biden’s border policies just penned a smug op-ed in the New York Times, claiming he holds the key to fixing America’s broken immigration system — and Homeland Security wasted no time tearing him to shreds.
Key Facts:
- Blas Nuñez-Neto, Biden’s former assistant secretary for border and immigration policy, wrote an op-ed in the New York Times blaming inaction on immigration for Trump’s re-election.
- He admitted illegal crossings surged under Biden and said the administration failed to act quickly enough.
- Nuñez-Neto cited economic fallout from COVID-19, lack of border resources, deportation authority, and delayed decisions as key factors.
- He called for a new immigration system that balances generosity with legal enforcement.
- The Department of Homeland Security mocked his remarks online, and critics pointed to record-high border numbers under Biden.
The Rest of The Story:
In a striking op-ed published Tuesday in the New York Times, Blas Nuñez-Neto, a former top immigration adviser under President Biden, said the White House’s failure to act decisively on border security played a key role in the political backlash that swept Donald Trump back into office.
He described the surge in illegal crossings as “a crisis” and said the administration’s delay in recognizing and addressing the problem cost Democrats the trust of voters.
Nuñez-Neto recalled seeing “a tidal wave” of border crossings beginning in 2021.
He said factors like pandemic-driven economic hardship and limited options for deportation—especially to countries like Venezuela—exacerbated the situation.
He also pointed to stalled decision-making and political gridlock as reasons things spiraled out of control.
By late 2023, Nuñez-Neto claimed the Biden team was finally working with Republicans on immigration reform.
But by then, he said, election politics had taken over.
“The politics were hopelessly interwoven with the presidential election, which is why a tough, bipartisan bill ultimately foundered,” he wrote.
Even while conceding the border is now more secure than under Biden’s earlier years, Nuñez-Neto warned that the changes have come “at the cost of eroding our constitutional order.”
He concluded that the U.S. needs immigration laws that welcome legal immigrants while enforcing laws against illegal entry.
However, his essay stirred backlash.
Homeland Security’s official X account brutally mocked the op-ed with a snarky analogy: “‘I was Humpty Dumpty. Here’s how to sit on a wall.’”
“I was Humpty Dumpty. Here’s how to sit on a wall.” pic.twitter.com/jLEqar4ke9
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 15, 2025
The criticism was harshest from those pointing out that December 2023 saw a record 249,785 illegal border apprehensions—numbers far exceeding anything during Trump’s time in office.
Commentary:
Blas Nuñez-Neto’s admission of failure is long overdue, but his reasoning is still far from honest.
He wants Americans to believe the border collapse was due to a lack of resources and deportation authority.
That’s simply not true.
President Trump didn’t get any new powers or resources from Congress, yet within months he drastically reduced illegal crossings.
He did it through willpower, executive action, and policies that put America first.
Trump proved that third-country deportation agreements and border enforcement could be done—even against fierce legal challenges and without waiting for bipartisan cover.
The Biden administration had all the same tools, but lacked the will to use them. Instead, they spent years dithering, sending mixed signals, and undermining enforcement officers.
Now, Nuñez-Neto is trying to rewrite history to protect his reputation. He’s pitching the idea that unless we allow more people to come in legally, we’ll have another crisis.
That’s false. The United States doesn’t owe entry to everyone who wants it. Immigration exists to serve the nation’s interests—not the other way around.
The idea that generosity must come at the expense of order is nonsense. A functioning immigration system welcomes those who qualify while sending home those who don’t. That’s what law and order means.
Nuñez-Neto’s argument is built on the same progressive fallacy that’s driven our border chaos: that compassion equals open doors.
But no sovereign nation survives that logic.
If America is to avoid more border meltdowns, voters must put people in office who will enforce the law—not make excuses after the damage is done.
Ultimately, the only real solution is to remove from office the very politicians who created the chaos.
The problem at the border wasn’t a lack of authority—it was a lack of leadership.
The Bottom Line:
Blas Nuñez-Neto’s op-ed admits the Biden administration mishandled the border crisis but offers misleading excuses to explain it away.
He ignores that Trump solved similar problems without extra help from Congress.
The real issue wasn’t policy limitations—it was political will.
Until voters reject failed leadership, the border crisis will remain a recurring disaster.
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