Want to know how many illegal crossings it took to wake old Joe? It took over 176,000 illegal crossings by Chinese nationals for President Joe Biden to suddenly remember that national security is a thing. The administration finally announced a flurry of actions in November, and we’re all supposed to clap politely like this wasn’t years too late.

First, Biden extended the “national emergency” he declared way back in 2020, citing the ominous threat of Chinese companies funding their military-industrial complex with investments from—wait for it—American capital. Yep, U.S. dollars have been fueling China’s military upgrades. The administration acknowledged that “private” Chinese companies aren’t so private after all, as they conveniently moonlight for Beijing’s military and intelligence efforts. Shocker.

And as if this was breaking news, the order also flagged China’s use of surveillance tech for repressing minorities and conducting espionage abroad. Cue the gasps. But don’t worry, the administration reassures us it’s all hands-on deck—after years of letting the deck catch fire.

Meanwhile, DHS finally got around to deporting some Chinese nationals via “large-frame charter flights.” How many? Oh, they won’t say. Instead, we get vague buzzwords about “cooperation” with the PRC because nothing screams tough-on-security, like keeping the details fuzzy.

Let’s not ignore the elephant—or rather, the battalions—in the room. Under Biden, over 176,000 Chinese nationals, mostly single military-age men, crossed illegally into the U.S. To put that in perspective, that’s more than 35 Army brigades. Contrast this with the annual average of 1,000 during the years of Obama and Trump. But hey, who’s counting all the illegal Chinese citizens coming into the U.S.? (Oh wait, we are.)

And if border breaches weren’t enough, we’ve had Chinese nationals waltzing onto military bases, cyberattacking U.S. infrastructure, and even setting up clandestine “police stations” in our cities. DHS’s response? A task force is quietly adding companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. The majority are in the agricultural sector. A total of 107 companies are now on the list. Sure, accountability is great, but maybe start with the spy bases?

In short, it seems Biden’s strategy is to act just enough to check a box long after the problem’s been left to fester. Leadership or cleanup crew? You decide.