Over the past three years, the surge of unauthorized immigrants crossing the southern border has overwhelmed local communities, strained the resources of big cities and become a major political liability for President Joe Biden. Worse, the government’s failure to stop illegal entries is draining public support for immigration of all kinds — and in the process threatening America’s long-term economic growth.

Of the 7 million people apprehended at the southern border since the start of Biden’s presidency, some 2.4 million have been released into the US to await court hearings on their eligibility for asylum. That’s more than triple the number allowed into the country under former President Donald Trump. The accompanying spike in asylum-seekers relocating to northern cities has helped make immigration the top concern of voters heading into the presidential election. In his State of the Union address, Biden endorsed bipartisan border-security legislation that has broad public support but has been blocked by Republicans.