Fact check: Is the southern border in better shape than under Biden?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses present dramatically conflicting assessments of southern border conditions under different administrations.

Current administration supporters claim unprecedented success: Sources report that under the current leadership, border encounters are down by 93%, with a 95% decrease in encounters with 'gotaways' and a 99.99% decrease in migrant crossings ^[1]. March numbers allegedly showed the lowest southwest border crossings in history with a 95% drop in daily apprehensions compared to the previous administration's average ^[2].

Biden administration critics present opposite data: Sources document what they characterize as a "historic border crisis" under Biden's leadership ^[3], with policies allegedly contributing to "chaos and disorder at the border" ^[4]. The House Committee on Homeland Security released a report specifically documenting the Biden-Harris administration's alleged responsibility for border deterioration ^[3].

Active construction efforts are underway: Current sources indicate ongoing border wall construction, including 27 miles of new border wall in Arizona and expedited construction in Texas through regulatory waivers ^[5], along with a new "secondary" wall to close critical gaps ^[6].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several critical contextual elements:

• Timeline specificity: The question doesn't specify which period under Biden is being compared, as border conditions fluctuated significantly during his term ^[7].
• Measurement methodology: Sources use different metrics - some focus on encounters, others on apprehensions, and others on policy approaches, making direct comparisons difficult ^{[1] [2] [4]}.
• Policy approach differences: Biden's administration focused on what they termed a more "humane" approach to immigration, while facing criticism from both immigration advocates and Republican opponents ^{[7] [5]}. This fundamental difference in philosophy affects how "better shape" is defined.
• Beneficiaries of different narratives:
• Current administration officials like Secretary Noem benefit from promoting dramatic improvement statistics ^[1]
• Republican congressional leaders benefit from characterizing Biden's tenure as catastrophic ^[3]
• Immigration advocacy organizations benefit from criticizing both administrations' enforcement approaches ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question contains inherent framing bias by assuming a binary comparison without acknowledging the complexity of border security measurement.

Statistical manipulation concerns: The dramatic percentage decreases cited (93%, 95%, 99.99%) in pro-current administration sources ^{[1] [2]} appear suspiciously precise and may represent cherry-picked timeframes or baseline manipulation rather than comprehensive analysis.

Source credibility issues: Several analyses come from government agencies under the current administration ^{[1] [2] [8] [5]} or partisan congressional committees ^[3], creating potential conflicts of interest in data presentation.

Missing independent verification: The analyses lack neutral, third-party assessments from organizations like the Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, or academic institutions that might provide less politically motivated evaluations of border conditions across administrations.