And again, if the border is not a problem, why are Kathy Hochul and Mayor Adams screaming?

I didn't say they border is not a problem. It has been for decades. I said it is not "open". Enforcement is just as vigorous as ever.

That meme was popular when Obama was POTUS, even though during his administration records numbers of deportations occurred (much to the consternation of many factions of the Dem party). I don't know Biden's numbers, but I do know he hasn't made any substantial changes in policy that would affect the ability to cross-over or remain (other than letting Title 42 expire as the pandemic is "over" (even though it really isn't, but we're stuck with COVID forever now, and at least hospitals aren't slammed anymore)). What changes he has made has arguably made it more difficult, not less.

And I looked up terms...you (and the media, and academia) are using "open air" differently than I was. I was thinking "farmer's market" style. It isn't really that. It's public places where users know they can get supplies at certain times. Closing those is probably a good idea, but they won't really go away. They'll just be in alleys, and revert more to person-to-person again. The larger issue still remains.

But, yeah, walking from the rail to Pike Market, there were pockets of people who were laying against buildings completely stoned. And the Tenderloin in SF has similar, and tents on some sidewalks. Rousting those people doesn't really solve the problem, it just makes them move somewhere else.

This was a decent write-up. popcenter.asu.edu - Drug dealing open air markets