Democrats continuing to distance party from Biden's 'soft' policy on illegal immigration

Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

First it was Hillary Clinton over the weekend admitting that illegal immigration in the U.S. under President Joe Biden "went too far" and has had a "disruptive and destabilizing" impact on American society. On Tuesday evening, Jeh Johnson, the Department of Homeland Security secretary under President Obama, joined the the former secretary of state and presidential candidate in distancing the Democrat party from the Biden policies on illegal immigration as the 2026 midterms approach.

During an appearance on Bill O'Reilly's No Spin News show Tuesday night, Johnson, when asked by O'Reilly if he was surprised that the Biden administration basically had an open-border police, replied, " Yes. I was."

When O'Reilly pressed Johnson to try to explain why Biden would allow such a destructive policy, Johnson dodged the question, but said the flood of illegal immigration during the Biden years was a result of how Biden was perceived abroad. 

"When Biden came into office, he was perceived as being soft. And you saw the results," Johnson said. "When Trump came into office, the numbers plummet." Johnson's remarks are a stunning admission coming from a former government official who endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, and also criticized Trump's policies on illegal immigration at the time.

Elsewhere in the interview, Johnson praised Border Czar Tom Homan, saying, "He was one of my key advisers" during his time leading the Department of Homeland Security. The full interview with Johnson can be seen here.