Trump’s Immigration Policy Was Brutal and Inhumane. Will Biden Fix It?

President Donald Trump likes to win. As his time in the Oval Office comes to an end today, there’s at least one accolade he can confidently claim: He has instituted some of the most inhumane immigration policies of any modern president. From separating families at the border as part of a “zero-tolerance” policy, to weaponizing immigrants’ legal status for political power, to frivolously pulling visas without explanation or justification, to zeroing in on Good Samaritans, to hiring a ruthless nativist as his primary policy architect, Trump leaves Washington with a record that should draw the ire of anyone who cares about basic freedoms.

But what about President-elect Joe Biden, whose former boss, President Barack Obama, earned the moniker “deporter in chief” for his record-setting focus on expelling immigrants?

He promises to be better. The incoming president has constructed the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, which would provide immigrants with a five-year path to a green card and a subsequent three-year path to citizenship if they meet a set of obligations, including passing a background check and paying taxes. In order to disincentivize a rush to the border, the bill requires that recipients have lived in the U.S. since January 1, 2021.

On border security, Biden says he will cease construction of enhanced border barriers and instead will hone in on technology to “to expedite screening and enhance the ability to identify narcotics and other cont