The "looseness" of the border is always just a matter of degree. Framing the Democrats position as "open borders" merely because they support a different level of "looseness" than the Republicans is dishonest. That is why I consistently challenge that usage.
The worst is our president, who essentially claims that anyone that opposes his wall is for open borders. We need to put that phrase to rest. I've said it before - it is like the "war on women" propaganda that left throws around from time to time.