At least someone had the guts to say it.
A former Obama Cabinet official who later served in the Biden administration is offering a surprisingly candid assessment of how the White House handled the southern border crisis.
Ken Salazar, who served as President Joe Biden’s U.S. ambassador to Mexico, says the Biden administration “woke up too late” when it came to confronting the border and migration problems that became a major concern for American voters.
Salazar’s comments are particularly noteworthy because they are not coming from a longtime Republican opponent of Biden.
Before becoming ambassador to Mexico, Salazar served as a Democratic senator from Colorado and as Interior secretary under former President Barack Obama.
Now, Salazar is arguing that the Biden administration failed to recognize the urgency of the border situation early enough — and that failure ultimately gave President Donald Trump a powerful political issue.
Former Biden Ambassador Sounds The Alarm
Salazar discusses the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and foreign policy in his book, Borderlands.
His central argument is that American leaders have spent too much time looking toward Europe and Asia while failing to give Mexico and the Western Hemisphere the attention they deserve.
According to Salazar, that same problem affected the Biden administration.
While Washington focused heavily on international challenges elsewhere in the world, the situation along the U.S.-Mexico border was becoming increasingly difficult.
Salazar believes Biden should have responded with far greater urgency from the beginning of his presidency.
“From day one, there should have been a great sense of urgency in addressing the crisis of a broken border and the migration crisis that we are seeing,” Salazar said.
That is a significant admission from someone who represented Biden’s administration in one of the most important diplomatic positions connected to the southern border.
Salazar Says Biden Administration “Woke Up Too Late”
Salazar’s criticism was not limited to border enforcement.
He said the Biden White House lacked both a comprehensive strategy and an effective communications operation capable of explaining its policies to Americans.
That created what Salazar viewed as a political vacuum.
Republicans were more than willing to fill it.
As illegal immigration became a major national issue, Trump and other Republican leaders repeatedly accused Biden of failing to secure the southern border.
Salazar now says the administration waited too long before effectively responding.
“I think that’s what trapped the administration into this sense that they woke up too late by the time they did the right things to get control of the border,” Salazar said.
For voters who spent years demanding tougher border security, his comments could reinforce criticism that stronger action should have come much sooner.
Salazar Wanted Someone Put In Charge
Perhaps one of the most revealing portions of Salazar’s account involves what he says happened behind closed doors.
Salazar says he pushed Biden to appoint a high-level official who would be specifically responsible for coordinating border security, migration, Mexico and the Americas.
During a presidential visit to Mexico, Salazar became frustrated after discovering that he and former Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut were not scheduled to participate in an important meeting.
Salazar says he had wanted to use the meeting to make his case for a dedicated border and migration coordinator.
The situation reportedly became so frustrating that he considered resigning as ambassador.
Salazar ultimately secured a private meeting with Biden and delivered his recommendation directly to the president.
“We need someone in the White House to oversee the border, migration, Mexico, and the Americas. No one is in charge now. We need a border and migration czar,” Salazar recalled telling Biden.
He argued that one official needed enough authority to coordinate agencies across Washington and communicate the administration’s border strategy with a single voice.
Salazar believed the problem was urgent.
Border Crisis Became A Major Political Liability
Immigration and border security eventually became major political vulnerabilities for Biden and the Democratic Party.
Republicans repeatedly highlighted illegal crossings, overwhelmed border facilities, fentanyl trafficking concerns and the financial pressure migration placed on certain cities and states.
The issue also expanded far beyond traditional border states such as Texas and Arizona.
Cities thousands of miles from Mexico found themselves dealing with increased migrant populations, bringing immigration policy into local political debates across the country.
Trump capitalized on the issue and made border security a centerpiece of his political message.
Salazar believes Democrats made that considerably easier.
Biden Eventually Took Stronger Action
In June 2024, Biden announced executive action that restricted asylum eligibility when encounters along the southern border reached certain levels.
Illegal crossings subsequently declined.
Salazar argues, however, that the administration failed to effectively communicate those results to the American public before Biden ended his presidential campaign.
In Salazar’s view, the political damage had already been done.
Trump had spent years arguing that the border was out of control, and immigration had become one of his strongest issues with voters.
Salazar described the situation as political “low-hanging fruit” for Trump.
In other words, Republicans did not have to work particularly hard to convince many Americans that something was wrong at the border because voters had already seen the controversy unfold for years.
Salazar Says Republicans Understood The Issue
Salazar also acknowledged that Republicans have long understood the political importance of border security and immigration.
“Republicans, like Donald Trump, use it as a political advantage because that’s how they win elections,” Salazar said.
Democrats, he argued, have traditionally approached immigration differently.
According to Salazar, Democratic politicians frequently concentrate on domestic immigration reform without paying enough attention to the broader relationship between the United States, Mexico and the rest of the Western Hemisphere.
He believes that approach is too narrow.
Border security, in his view, cannot be separated from foreign policy, trade, economic development and national security.
A Broader Problem For Democrats
Salazar’s warning could carry implications well beyond Biden’s presidency.
Democrats looking toward the 2028 presidential election may have to determine whether their approach to immigration needs a major overhaul.
For many conservative voters, the answer may already seem obvious.
Americans expect the federal government to know who is entering the country and to maintain an orderly immigration system while keeping communities safe.
At the same time, the United States remains a nation with a long tradition of legal immigration.
The political challenge is balancing those principles.
Salazar appears to believe Democrats failed to convince enough voters that they could accomplish both.
Salazar Agrees With Trump On One Major Point
Despite criticizing Trump’s approach to immigration, Salazar acknowledged that the president is correct about one fundamental issue.
America’s border system is “broken,” according to Salazar.
Where the two men differ is over how the federal government should fix it.
Salazar has criticized elements of Trump’s enforcement strategy and argues that border security must be pursued while respecting constitutional protections and established legal rights.
He also believes politicians should avoid treating every migrant as a threat.
But Salazar is hardly calling for abandoning law enforcement.
The former Colorado attorney general points to his own history overseeing law enforcement personnel as evidence that he supports policing and public safety.
His argument is that enforcement needs to be part of a much larger strategy.
Salazar Wants A New North American Alliance
Salazar’s proposed solution is what he calls the “Borderlands Platform.”
The proposal would establish a stronger North American partnership involving the United States, Mexico and Canada.
His plan includes increased security cooperation, expanded opportunities for legal labor mobility and additional investment in trade throughout North America.
Salazar wants Washington to stop treating immigration exclusively as a domestic political battle.
Instead, he argues that border security should be connected to economic policy, foreign relations and national security.
That includes addressing conditions beyond Mexico itself, including migration routes farther south in Latin America.
Former Obama Official Praises Trump-Era Trade Agreement
One particularly interesting aspect of Salazar’s position involves trade.
Despite his Democratic background, Salazar has spoken positively about maintaining the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, better known as USMCA.
Trump negotiated USMCA during his first administration as a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement.
NAFTA had governed much of North American trade since the Clinton administration.
Salazar believes a strong economic relationship between the United States, Mexico and Canada remains essential.
That means Washington must consider how border policy, tariffs, agriculture, manufacturing and consumer prices interact.
What It Could Mean For American Families
The debate over Mexico is not limited to politicians and diplomats.
Salazar warns that decisions involving trade and tariffs can eventually reach Americans at the grocery store.
He specifically mentioned products including strawberries, blueberries and avocados.
Mexico is a major trading partner of the United States, making stability between the two countries important for businesses and consumers on both sides of the border.
Tariffs and trade uncertainty can potentially increase costs, disrupt supply chains and create difficulties for American farmers and businesses.
Salazar believes policymakers must consider those economic consequences while pursuing stronger national security.
Rural America Could Feel The Pressure
Agriculture is another major concern.
Salazar has personal experience with rural life and said he spends considerable time on his family ranch.
He warned that American farmers could face particularly difficult conditions if trade disputes worsen.
Fuel, machinery, fertilizer, labor and export markets all contribute to the cost of operating a farm.
Even relatively small increases in expenses can become significant when spread across a large agricultural operation.
Salazar argues that America risks losing some of its economic advantages if its relationship with neighboring countries deteriorates.
For older Americans who remember previous debates over NAFTA, manufacturing and agricultural trade, the argument may sound familiar.
The difference today is that border security has become deeply intertwined with those economic questions.
Democrats Get A Warning Ahead Of 2028
Salazar is not keeping his recommendations to himself.
He confirmed that he has met with several Democrats viewed as potential presidential candidates in 2028.
His advice has been clear: Make border security and migration a major issue.
Salazar said he intends to do whatever he can to ensure the subject is at the center of the Democratic presidential debate.
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is among the Democrats who have met with Salazar, according to the former ambassador.
Whether the Democratic Party follows his advice could become an important question heading into the next presidential campaign.
Ignoring border concerns could carry serious political consequences if voters continue to rank immigration and public safety among their priorities.
Salazar Would Even Talk To Trump
Despite being a longtime Democrat and former Obama administration official, Salazar says he would meet with Trump if the president asked to speak with him.
However, Salazar emphasized that he does not want to become political ammunition for either party.
He believes Trump has an opportunity to pursue a broader relationship with Mexico while simultaneously addressing border security.
Affordability could be a major reason.
Food, fuel and other everyday expenses can be affected by international trade, tariffs and supply-chain disruptions.
Those are kitchen-table concerns that matter regardless of political affiliation.
Biden’s Border Record Could Become A Lesson For Democrats
Salazar’s comments ultimately raise a larger question about how the Biden administration handled one of the most politically damaging issues of his presidency.
Republicans spent years arguing that Biden waited too long to take stronger action at the southern border.
Now, a former Biden ambassador and Obama Cabinet official is making a similar argument from inside Democratic circles.
That does not mean Salazar has embraced Trump’s immigration agenda.
He clearly has not.
But his admission that the Biden administration “woke up too late” is nevertheless significant.
The lesson for Washington may be straightforward.
Americans want a government capable of maintaining control over the border, enforcing immigration laws, protecting communities, supporting legitimate law enforcement and providing a functional legal immigration system.
At the same time, decisions involving Mexico affect far more than immigration.
They influence American agriculture, manufacturing, energy, trade and the prices families encounter every day.
Trump successfully turned border security into a major political issue during the Biden years.
Salazar’s warning suggests Democrats hoping to regain voters in future elections may not be able to afford making the same mistake again.
The Bottom Line
Ken Salazar’s criticism provides an unusual glimpse into the frustration that existed within the Biden administration over its handling of the border.
The former Obama Cabinet secretary and Biden ambassador believes the White House failed to recognize the urgency of the problem early enough, lacked centralized leadership and struggled to explain its strategy to the American people.
Trump benefited politically from those failures by making border security a defining issue.
Salazar now wants Democrats — and potentially the Trump administration — to adopt a much broader approach that combines border enforcement, national security, legal immigration, trade and stronger cooperation throughout North America.
Whether Washington follows that advice remains uncertain.
What is clear is that the battle over America’s southern border did not disappear when Biden left office.
It remains one of the most important political, economic and national security debates facing the country.
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