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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Senator Bernie Sanders acknowledged in a recent podcast interview that President Donald Trump performed better than former President Joe Biden in securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
"If you don’t have any borders, you don’t have a nation," Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party, said on The Tim Dillon Show on Wednesday. "Trump did a better job. I don’t like Trump, but we should have a secure border. It ain’t that hard to do. Biden didn't do it."
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has essentially shut down asylum and reduced border crossings to historic lows through stricter measures aimed at curbing migration. Unlawful crossings at the Southern border have fallen to their lowest level in more than 50 years, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data released in early October.
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The Trump administration have implemented hardline border security measures, which have contributed to a drop in apprehensions, marking a significant shift after years of rising border crossings under the Biden administration.
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What To Know
The progressive senator offered a rare compliment to Trump for his administration's border policies.
“So, has historically the United States done well under Democrats and Republicans protecting the border? The answer is no. Trump did a better job,” Sanders said on the podcast. “I don’t like Trump, you know, but we should have a secure border. And it ain’t that hard to do. Biden didn’t do it. Those before him did not do it. We should have a secure border period. I think most people in the Congress agree with that.”
Since returning to the White House earlier this year, Trump has implemented a series of measures aimed at tightening U.S. border security.
These include executive orders and regulatory changes to enforce immigration laws more strictly, pause or restrict refugee resettlement, reinstate rapid-expulsion policies like Title 42, expedite deportations, and increase border barrier construction.
In addition, the Pentagon deployed troops to the southern border to support Border Patrol agents. Combined with policy and infrastructure measures, these actions are intended to reduce illegal crossings and strengthen federal control of the border.
A 2025 study by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of Americans support substantially expanding the U.S.–Mexico border wall, up from 46 percent in 2019. Support remains highest among Republicans at 88 percent, while backing among Democrats has nearly doubled to 27 percent, up from 14 percent six years earlier, according to Pew.
What People Are Saying
Journalist Mehdi Hasan wrote on X on Thursday: "This may be the single worst thing Bernie Sanders has ever said, and I say this as a long-time Bernie admirer. Praising Trump for his *border policies*? Endorsing lazy rightwing talking points about Biden and border security, and nations not existing without borders? Sheesh."
Filmmaker and conservative activist Robby Starbuck wrote on X: "Someone pinch me because I’m pretty sure I just heard Bernie Sanders say that 'if you don’t have a border then you don’t have a country' and that President Trump did a better job than other Presidents at securing the border. Wow."
**Florida Republican candidate for Congress Michael Carbonara wrote Friday on X: "**Even Bernie Sanders admits it: Trump secured the border better than Biden. When the far left acknowledges the obvious, maybe it's time Democrats stop pretending open borders work."
What Happens Next?
The Trump administration will maintain its stricter measures at the border while it continues carrying out large scale arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants across the nation.
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