Can the U.S. build a border system that is both secure and humane, or do court backlogs and enforcement imbalances make that impossible?

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Yes—but only if the U.S. stops treating security and due process as competing goals and funds both. The evidence suggests the current imbalance is the main obstacle, not proof that a humane system is impossible. Since DHS was created, the federal government has spent more than $532 billion on immigration enforcement, while immigration courts and asylum adjudication have received far less. In FY2025, detention alone received about $45 billion, compared with roughly $800 million for the entire immigration court system. That gap helps explain why the court backlog has grown past 3.5 million cases and why many cases now take years. A secure system needs fast, credible decisions. If border agents stop or screen people but courts cannot resolve asylum and removal cases quickly, the result is neither order nor fairness. Long waits encourage unauthorized stays, increase detention pressure, and make legal claims harder to assess. Recent reports showing average case completion times near 900 days for removals underline that point. A humane system also requires legal pathways and targeted enforcement. That means prioritizing violent or serious offenders, using alternatives to detention for low-risk migrants, and preserving access to asylum interviews, counsel, and timely notice of hearings. Experts across the debate increasingly argue that enforcement alone cannot manage migration flows driven by violence, economic collapse, and regional instability. The practical answer is a balanced …

2026 Democrats Break With Biden on Border as Trump Approval on Issue Falls to 38%

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2026 Democrats Break With Biden on Border as Trump Approval on Issue Falls to 38%

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