Border security advocates with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) criticized President Biden for his photo-op on the border, which they say was “designed to quell criticism.”

President of FAIR Dan Stein blasted Biden in a press release, contending that his photo-op on the border was intended to “quell criticism” rather than assist any “serious effort to end a crisis he created.”

Stein noted that “this crisis is all by design,” citing then-presidential candidate Biden who signaled his opposition to border security during a 2019 primary debate when he said “I would, in fact, make sure that there is—we immediately surge to the border. All those people seeking asylum, they deserve to be heard.”

Stein also noted that “In their first 100 days, the Biden administration took over 90 executive actions on immigration, many of which dismantled an effective system, making it easier for migrants to illegally enter and stay for good.”

He went on to point out that follow-up executive actions and policy decisions have worsened the crisis on the border. But perhaps worst of all, “The administration also immediately sent a 353-page mass amnesty bill to Congress,” Stein notes.

Meanwhile, “the core component of President Biden’s trip was a brief dog and pony show on port of entry inspections,” Stein argues.

Mark Morgan, a senior fellow at FAIR and a former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, also criticized Biden for the stunt, noting that he used his trip to the border “for a photo-op in front of the highly effective border wall he unilaterally scrapped on his first day in office.”

Morgan also highlighted that the president stated he would meet with Border Patrol Agents and “make public” their requests. Morgan added that “If he did, he would have heard exactly what he was told two years ago,” that “walls work” and that “We are being overrun.”

Migrants wait on the the border between Mexico and the United states, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Christian Chavez)

“We are unable to do our job to protect our nation against a vast and complex set of threats; we have been pulled off the front lines and relegated to performing the duties of a federal travel agency,” he continued.

“They likely told him how drugs, criminal aliens, and potential national security threats are pouring across the wide-open southern border,” Morgan added.

As of October 2022, it is estimated that roughly 2.4 million illegal immigrants have entered our country since President Biden took office.

Meanwhile, an exclusive report from Breitbart News revealed that an estimated 72,000 illegal migrants got away from Border Patrol without being apprehended in the month of December. In this fiscal year alone, which started on October 1st, an estimated 212,000 illegal migrants have gotten away from Border Patrol.

Spencer Lindquist is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerLndqst and reach out at slindquist@breitbart.com.