A construction vehicle builds the border wall near Sunland Park, N.M. in 2026. (Christian Torres/Getty Images)
Several Democrats were asked about the latest figures and the stark change in absence of legislation they've said would be the cure:
BARACK OBAMA
Former President Barack Obama previously called the border crisis during his deputy’s term as president "a painful reminder that we don’t have this right yet," according to ABC News.
At the time in 2021, Obama said that as a "nation-state, we have to have borders," and many conservatives have pointed to Obama’s relative success with deportations and the awarding of a medal to then-future Border Czar Tom Homan as an example of when Democrats sought a strong immigration enforcement posture.
But, as Obama told ABC News at the time, the crisis was the reason he proposed comprehensive immigration reform for Congress to pass.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s office for comment on the border numbers in the absence of such a law.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, D-N.Y.
In September 2024, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said he would always fight for DREAMers and comprehensive immigration reform.
"Comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship has long been a priority of mine. It is one of the most important things this Congress can do," he said in 2021.
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The Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita, U.S. House of Representatives, speaks onstage during the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square on Sept. 23, 2025 in New York City. (Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Annual Summit)
"Some are using that as an excuse not to pass comprehensive immigration reform -- any excuse will do; they said they're not going to do it -- They should not take any hope in saying that because of this we cant have it -- because of this we must pass comprehensive immigration."
In 2023, she doubled down, saying that the "MAGA Movement would rather use newcomers to our nation as political pawns than work across the aisle to achieve comprehensive immigration reform," and in January said the "strength of our democracy" depends on it.
Fox News Digital reached out to Pelosi for further comment.
DAVID TRONE, D-MD.
David Trone, a former Maryland Democratic congressman seeking his old seat this year, has been vocal in opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement posture, ridiculing ICE for allegedly "executing" people and condemning the administration for its purchase of a sprawling facility in Williamsport, Maryland, that DHS told Fox News Digital would aid in that endeavor.
While running for Senate in 2024 against Angela Alsobrooks and Larry Hogan, Trone remarked, "forget the border," saying it was a "Republican talking point and distraction."
"You know who builds all of our homes in the construction industry, virtually all? Latinos. Our immigration policies just don't make any sense. We need more lawful [immigration]."
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He said at the time that one million immigrants come per year and that policies have not changed for 25 years: "Why? Because Congress is waiting for comprehensive immigration reform."
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS
Former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas repeatedly blamed congressional inaction for some of the border woes during his tenure overseeing it.
From the White House podium in 2023, Mayorkas declared the border was "not open," leading to GOP uproar.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas holds a press conference at a U.S. Border Patrol station on January 08, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)
"People who cross our border unlawfully and without a legal basis to remain will be promptly processed and removed," he said, though the figures from Pew paint a different picture.
"Our current situation is the outcome of Congress leaving a broken, outdated immigration system in place for over two decades, despite unanimous agreement that we desperately need legislative reform. It is also the result of Congress’s decision not to provide us with the resources we need and that we requested."
Mayorkas was unable to be directly reached for comment.
SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO, D-ARIZ.Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has also called for reform but has offered more nuance in that regard.
"We don’t have to choose between border security and immigration reform. We can and should do both," Gallego said in announcing a five-point plan in 2025.
Gallego called for hiring more border agents and reconfiguring the asylum process, but also called for a pathway to citizenship like other top Democrats.
When asked Wednesday about the sudden drop in border crossings in the absence of any such reforms, Gallego said the news was a "win for Arizonans" but also comes with its own issues.
"We can't replace one form of chaos with another," Gallego told FOX News Digital.
"Under this administration, ICE has become a rogue agency, with agents who feel they can trample on Americans’ Constitutional rights—including the right to bear arms—with total impunity."
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Gallego said Congress must still pass "durable laws" to reflect the approach he laid out in his 2025 plan.
"[That] prioritizes actual security over lawless intimidation."
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/border-crossings-hit-55-year-low-after-democrats-said-reform-only-fix