Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) delivered rare praise for former President Donald Trump’s border policies last week, telling The Tim Dillon Show that Trump “did a better job” securing the southern border than President Biden. Sanders stressed the importance of national borders, stating, “So long as we have nation-states, you’ve got to have borders. If you don’t have any borders, then you don’t have a nation.” He criticized multiple administrations for failing to enforce immigration laws effectively, arguing that the United States has the “technology and manpower” to secure the border but lacks leadership willing to act decisively. The clip, which aired Wednesday, quickly circulated on social media and drew attention across the political spectrum.
Sanders’ remarks represent a notable departure from his previous positions on immigration. During his 2020 presidential campaign, he opposed “border crisis” rhetoric and accused Trump of demonizing immigrants, even calling border closures in response to COVID-19 “xenophobic.” In contrast, he now calls for stronger enforcement measures, highlighting the stark difference between Trump’s final year in office, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded roughly 458,000 migrant encounters, and fiscal year 2023, which saw a record 2.47 million. Sanders emphasized that, despite his disagreements with Trump on other issues, border security should be a bipartisan priority, signaling a shift in his public stance on immigration enforcement.
Former President Trump has appointed longtime border enforcer Tom Homan as his “border czar,” who recently spoke with The Alex Marlow Show about the human and social costs of mass immigration and cartel activity. Homan described harrowing encounters with cartel victims, including children abused or killed during smuggling operations. “If they held the dead children I’ve held…standing on the back of a tractor-trailer where 19 people baked to death, including a 5-year-old boy…you’d understand why this work matters,” he said. Homan’s appointment, coupled with Sanders’ praise, underscores renewed attention on border enforcement and highlights ongoing debates over U.S. immigration policy as political leaders evaluate strategies to secure the southern border.
