Fact check: How many immigrants came in during Biden's term

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, immigration numbers during the Biden administration vary significantly depending on the source and methodology used:

Official Migration Policy Institute data shows that the Biden administration paroled in or allowed 5.8 million asylum seekers and other migrants to enter the U.S. without authorization and granted U.S. citizenship to nearly 3.5 million immigrants during its term ^[1]. The same organization reports 8.6 million migrant encounters from January 2021 through October 2024, noting that many were repeat crossers ^[2].

Congressional estimates present higher figures, with the House Committee on Homeland Security claiming that over 10.3 million inadmissible aliens have entered the United States since January 20, 2021, with more than 7 million released into the interior ^[3]. This same report states the administration released or allowed into the interior over 5 million inadmissible aliens and roughly 2 million known gotaways ^[3].

Enforcement data shows that despite high entry numbers, US immigration authorities deported more than 271,000 immigrants in the last fiscal year, surpassing Trump's 2019 record ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the complexity of immigration statistics:

• Repeat crossers significantly inflate encounter numbers - the 8.6 million encounters include many individuals who crossed multiple times ^[2]
• Different categories of immigrants are often conflated - the data includes asylum seekers, parolees, citizenship grants, and unauthorized entries, which represent different legal statuses
• Seasonal and policy variations affected numbers throughout the term, with encounters reaching record highs in December 2023 but dropping significantly since ^[4]
• Border encounters vs. actual entries - encounters at the southern border (over 137,000 in March 2024, over 47,000 in December 2024) don't necessarily equal successful entries ^[5]

Pro-immigration advocates like the American Immigration Council argue that the focus should be on investing in more immigration judges and asylum officers, expanding access to ports of entry, rather than enforcement-only approaches ^[6]. Anti-immigration political figures benefit from emphasizing the highest possible numbers to support restrictionist policies.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question, while seemingly neutral, lacks important nuances that can lead to misleading interpretations:

• No distinction between legal and unauthorized immigration - mixing asylum seekers, parolees, and unauthorized crossers creates confusion
• Absence of historical context - no comparison to previous administrations' numbers or long-term immigration trends
• No acknowledgment of repeat encounters - treating each border encounter as a unique individual inflates actual entry numbers
• Missing policy context - ignoring that some high numbers reflect processing backlogs and policy changes rather than just "new immigrants"

The House Committee on Homeland Security's figures ^[3] represent the highest estimates and come from a partisan source with clear political motivations to maximize numbers. Conversely, immigration advocacy organizations may emphasize the humanitarian aspects while downplaying enforcement challenges. The Migration Policy Institute appears to provide the most balanced data, distinguishing between different categories and acknowledging methodological limitations.