In an interview this week, President Joe Biden’s outgoing director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement shredded his handling of the border crisis.
Acting ICE Director Patrick Lechleitner made the remarks on NBC News’ “Morning Joe” program.
“Do you think that Biden should’ve taken that action earlier?” NBC News’s Julia Ainsley asked Lechleitner regarding an executive action Biden signed last summer to limit asylum seekers trying to cross the border.
“Yes, yes,” Lechleitner interjected. “Absolutely yes, he should’ve. The administration should’ve taken that action earlier. And I think the career people in [the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)] would have liked that.”
“All of us in DHS, quite frankly, I don’t know if anybody in DHS wouldn’t have wanted that earlier. Maybe there’s some counselors here or there that don’t like this kinda stuff, but law enforcement is always going to be on that side where we want, you know, some tighter controls,” he added.
ICE Director Patrick Lechleitner blasts Biden for delaying action on the border:
— Bobby LaValley (@Bobby_LaVallley) January 9, 2025
"Yes, yes, absolutely yes, he should have. The administration should have taken that action earlier, and I think the career people in DHS would have liked that." pic.twitter.com/T1Q7C45OGE
Throughout Biden’s tenure as president, he blamed the border crisis on a number of people, including Congress and former President Donald Trump.
In Biden’s exit interview this week, he did not mention the southern border, Ainsley noted.
“Does that surprise you?” she asked Lechleitner.
"No, it doesn't surprise me, but it's unfortunate because I think we could have done more,” he answered.
“What specifically?” she pressed.
“We could have put more resources to it. Either CBP for the border itself and with ICE. We could have went and tried to get more of these individuals who are on the non-detain docket and we could have detained more people and we could have removed more people. I think we could use more resources and support. We could have done that the last four years,“ he stated.
"Biden had an exit interview this week where he was asked about his regrets and he did not mention the border. Does that surprise you?"
— Bobby LaValley (@Bobby_LaVallley) January 9, 2025
ICE Director Patrick Lechleitner: "No, it doesn't surprise me, but it's unfortunate because I think we could have done more." pic.twitter.com/twOz4tQQBS