Fact check: Do more Americans die of fentynol in one year of the Biden administration because of the open border policy than died in 75 years of war

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal that none of the sources provide a direct comparison between fentanyl deaths during the Biden administration and deaths from 75 years of war, making it impossible to verify the specific claim. However, several key data points emerge:

Fentanyl/Drug Death Statistics:

• Drug deaths in the U.S. have actually plunged dramatically since summer 2023, with 77,648 fatal overdoses in the 12-month period ending in March ^[1]
• Over 93,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2020, according to preliminary CDC data ^[2]
• New York experienced a significant increase in opioid-related deaths between 2010 and 2020 ^[3]

War Deaths Context:

• Sources provide information on U.S. military deaths by war since WWI, broken down by major conflicts including World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Iraq-Related Operations, and Afghanistan-Related Operations ^[4]
• The American Civil War had the largest number of American military fatalities in U.S. history ^[5]

Border Policy and Fentanyl Connection:

• The primary method of fentanyl smuggling into the United States is through legal ports of entry, often involving U.S. citizens, not migrants ^[6]
• Attempts to link fentanyl smuggling to migration are described as "politically motivated and not supported by data" ^[6]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks several crucial pieces of context:

Declining Trend in Drug Deaths:

The statement ignores that drug deaths have actually decreased significantly since 2023 ^[1], suggesting the crisis may be improving rather than worsening under current policies.

Smuggling Methods:

The statement assumes a connection between "open border policy" and fentanyl deaths, but evidence suggests that fentanyl primarily enters through legal ports of entry via U.S. citizens ^[6], not through unauthorized border crossings.

Biden Administration Response:

The analyses show the Biden administration has implemented efforts to address the overdose crisis, including proposed investments and funding for treatment and harm reduction services ^[2], contradicting the implication of inaction.

Political Motivations:

Those who benefit from linking immigration to fentanyl deaths include politicians and organizations seeking to justify stricter immigration policies or deflect attention from domestic drug policy failures ^[6]. This narrative serves political interests rather than addressing the actual mechanisms of fentanyl distribution.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains several problematic elements:

Unsupported Causal Link:

The statement assumes that "open border policy" directly causes fentanyl deaths, but evidence indicates fentanyl smuggling occurs primarily through legal channels involving U.S. citizens ^[6], not through unauthorized immigration.

Misleading Framing:

By focusing on "open border policy," the statement diverts attention from the actual sources and methods of fentanyl trafficking ^[6], potentially hindering effective policy responses.

Temporal Bias:

The statement fails to acknowledge that drug deaths have significantly declined since 2023 ^[1], presenting an outdated or incomplete picture of current trends.

Political Weaponization:

The framing appears designed to politically weaponize the fentanyl crisis by connecting it to immigration policy without factual basis ^[6], serving partisan interests rather than public health goals.

Lack of Comparative Data:

The statement makes a specific numerical comparison that none of the available sources can verify ^{[1] [3] [2] [4] [5] [7]}, suggesting it may be based on incomplete or manipulated statistics.