By Anthony Zurcher | BBC North America Correspondent

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has sharply criticized his own party’s approach to immigration, stating that Democrats allowed the U.S.-Mexico border to fall “under siege” during Joe Biden’s presidency. In an interview with the BBC, Kerry said Democrats failed to address border security effectively, giving former President Donald Trump a significant political advantage.

Kerry, who served as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, acknowledged that he personally warned President Biden that the party had “missed” the mark on immigration for years. “The first thing any president should say is: without a protected border, you don’t have a nation,” Kerry said. “I wish President Biden had been heard more saying, ‘I’m going to enforce the law.’”

In a striking admission, he added: “Trump was right. The problem is we all should have been right.”

His remarks reflect internal tensions within the Democratic Party, where members remain divided over how to balance compassionate immigration policies with national security concerns. While many Democrats have advocated for more humane treatment of undocumented migrants and a pathway to citizenship, Republicans have framed such positions as weak and ineffective.

Under Trump’s renewed leadership, immigration enforcement has intensified. Although illegal border crossings had already begun declining near the end of Biden’s term—after stricter asylum measures were introduced—the Trump administration has expanded enforcement efforts, targeting not just undocumented individuals but also some long-term documented residents.

These aggressive tactics have sparked protests in several cities. In Los Angeles, federal agents and National Guard troops carried out a large-scale operation in MacArthur Park, a hub for immigrant communities. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass denounced the move, calling it “a political agenda of provoking fear and terror.”

In response, Los Angeles and seven other California cities have joined a lawsuit challenging the legality of Trump’s immigration actions. California Attorney General Rob Bonta condemned the federal actions as “a cruel and familiar pattern of attacks” on immigrant communities, accusing the Trump administration of “thriving on fear and division.”

The legal and political battles recall similar resistance during Trump’s first term, especially over his controversial family separation policy. While public outrage over immigration waned in recent years, the issue has re-emerged as a focal point in Republican messaging ahead of the next election.

Trump has continued to frame immigration as a central national threat. Responding to Democratic efforts in Congress to regulate immigration enforcement tactics, including a proposal to ban agents from concealing their identities, he said: “They’ve lost their confidence and become somewhat deranged.”

While such remarks are not unusual from Trump, Kerry’s comments highlight growing unease within the Democratic Party. Some party veterans now argue that their failure to act decisively on border policy has given Trump an opening to dominate the debate once again.