MOJO Academy Book Brief #6 -- Overrun
How Joe Biden Unleashed The Greatest Border Crisis in U.S. History
MOJO Academy Book Brief #6 -- Overrun
Book Title: Overrun
Author: Todd Bensman
Publishing Year: 2023
Number of Pages: 434
Audible Time: Approximately 14 hours
Brief Summary
Overrun by Todd Bensman dives deep into the complicated and often heated conversations around immigration policies and border security. With his background as an investigative journalist and our top expert in this area, Bensman takes an unfiltered look at how open-border policies impact both national sovereignty and the lives of people seeking a better future.
We had a former vice president in charge of tackling the "root causes" of illegal immigration and trying to stop what some might call an "invasion" (I know I do) at our southern border. But since she couldn’t really address the issue or slow the surge, it became one of the major reasons Donald Trump ended up winning the presidency in 2024.
Todd Bensman is one of the top experts on U.S.-Mexico border security and counterterrorism, and he brings a unique perspective to the conversation. With an empathic approach while staying close to the truth (which we appreciate at the MOJO Academy), he takes a hard look at how the Biden administration has intentionally rolled back border security through DHS policies. Todd cuts through the noise, breaking down the complex rhetoric around “migration” as a humanitarian issue and debunking common myths with clear, thoughtful analysis. He doesn’t just write from a distance—and this is the very cool part. He’s been on the ground, traveling the migration trail from Mexico to Central America. Through interviews with hundreds of migrants, he uncovers the real reasons people are making these journeys, often at the encouragement of the former Biden administration. Todd’s work digs deep into the true “root causes” of the migration crisis and provides a fresh perspective on what it could mean for our future.
The book doesn’t just focus on policies—it highlights the human side of the debate, revealing how lives are affected on every level.
Blending solid research with compelling storytelling, Overrun pushes us to rethink how immigration policies are made and what they really mean in the real world. It’s an eye-opening read that challenges us to consider the real impacts of decisions made far away from the border. This book wasn’t the easiest read, even with the audiobook, but it was worth it—it’s packed with tons of great insights!
Two Important Quotes
#1—A New Radical Democratic Party Has Emerged
"If Trump’s tough actions-backed communication about cracking down on illegal immigration caused a Trump Effect, it follows that what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were saying on the campaign trail caused an equal and opposite Biden Effect of spiking illegal immigration. Indeed, the Democratic Party and every one of its mainstream presidential contenders, to include Biden and Harris, began messaging as their own the most fringe ideas about immigration and the border ever heard on the main American public square:
• Abolish ICE.
• End all deportation.
• End detention.
• Extend U.S. asylum access to all comers.
• Grant mass citizenship.
• Free health care to all.
• Stop the wall.
No Democratic Party in modern history had ever taken such unconventional positions about illegal immigration. The universe of aspiring migrants was listening and, reasonably, sprinted toward the border as fast as possible the moment that those issuing these promises came to power and followed through. But who were these people?
(That’s your radical modern Democratic Party in a nutshell—fully in support of open borders.)
#2—Even Obama Understood the Importance of the Border
"“We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States, undetected, undocumented, unchecked and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country.”
—Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), 2005 press conference
(then during the Obama presidency)
The Obama episode is worth recalling because, when a crisis of unaccompanied minors from Central America spun out of control under his watch, he immediately wrestled it back by reducing the odds that anyone else would successfully cross and stay.
In 2014, 70,000 unaccompanied minors from Central American countries flooded over the Texas border in just a few months, a 77 percent increase over the prior year. Nothing jarringly new with “root causes” happened in climate change, gang violence, poverty, or government persecutions.
What caused the border rush were the usual causes: media coverage, radio advertisements, and word spread by “religious organizations” that the Americans were granting kids “permisos” that got them in and got them in to stay, the Washington Post reported. The newspaper cited corroborating migrant interviews conducted by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein’s staff and, separately, a confidential internal Border Patrol intelligence report. Both sources concluded that the main reason unaccompanied minors began crossing into the United States that year was “to take advantage of the ‘new U.S. law that grants a free pass or permit.’
(this was back in 2014, during Obama's presidency and even he "gained" control of the situation, but by the time of Joe Biden's presidency nothing was being done to stop anybody, he had repealed all of Trumps policies that were stopping the mad rush--and Joe Biden's true goal of completely open borders was at volume 11 on a scale of 1-10. The invasion was happening.)
Nuggets of Wisdom!
Reading Overrun was such an eye-opener, and documents the 10 million plus that has invaded our country. What Todd keeps stressing in this book is, this is the biggest mass movement across national borders in U.S. history—maybe even in human history. And if we stick with our current policies, it’s not going to stop. That’s not a guess, it’s a sure thing!
When the Biden Administration took over in 2021, everything changed. All the policies that Trump enacted were reversed and then the--much like the California Gold Rush--a massive wave of people, all chasing the same goal— to make it across border began again. We’re talking about over 10 million undocumented individuals crossing in just four years—not over a territory, but across an international border.
One of the most interesting parts is the chapter on the Del Rio bridge incident. Remember back in September 2021 when it was all over the news? About 15,000 migrants, mostly from Haiti, showed up at the U.S.-Mexico border looking for asylum after being sent back by Mexico. They ended up camping in terrible conditions under the Del Rio International Bridge, and things got out of control fast. Eventually, the situation was managed with a mix of deportations, voluntary returns, and asylum processing. Here's the kicker-- the whole incident proved and demostrated the Biden administration could actually shut down mass migration pretty quickly when it really put its mind to it—despite the risk of creating a global spectacle.
There’s a part in the book that dives into what’s being called 'The Great Haitian Asylum Scam.' Basically, thousands of Haitians used events like the earthquake, the country’s civil collapse, and even the 2021 assassination of Haitian PM Jovenel Moise as reasons to claim asylum in the U.S. The immigration system even encouraged them to bend the truth about why they were coming. And get this—the United Nations was handing out cash cards to many of them on their way to the U.S. border! The craziest part? Around 90% of these Haitians were already living comfortably in places like Brazil and Chile. A former immigration judge compared the US asylum system to a lifeline for someone drowning—they’ll even grab the point of a sword to survive. But, he added, "these people aren’t drowning, they’re just sitting on a beach."
Just like the Del Rio incident and the Great Haitian Asylum Scam, this book is filled with jaw-dropping stories and real facts about things most of us can barely imagine—cartels, drug trafficking, even sex trafficking. Bensman breaks it all down, showing exactly how the worst surge of illegal immigration in our country’s history happened and why. Those are the real nuggets of wisdom from this book. I recommend it!
Also be sure to check out Todd's PragerU video on this very subject.
Final Recommendation
Ever wondered how immigration policy and border control ended up where it is today? Overrun breaks it all down, covering the last decade and the role both political parties played. Whether you’re a policymaker, political science student, conservative, activist, or just someone trying to wrap your head around this massive global issue, this book breaks it all down. It dives into why we’re seeing one of the largest mass movements of people in history—without a war or major catastrophic event driving it. As we put together this MOJO Book Brief in early 2025, it looks like Donald Trump's administration is reverting to their old policies, and this mass movement seems to have come to a stop. We’ll continue to watch this issue and hopefully the country can begin to have a secure and safe border again for all those involved.
If You Liked This Book, You Might Like These:
We Should Have Seen It Coming by Gerald F. Seib explores the political and social shifts over the past decades that led to the rise of populism and the reshaping of American politics.
America’s Covert Border War by Todd Bensman – A deeper analysis of the intersection of terrorism and immigration from the same author written in 2021 but with no audible (boooo!!!!).