House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) led a group of 64 Republicans on a visit to the besieged southern border on Wednesday to drum up calls for an immediate crackdown on illegal immigration.
Prime Minister Johnson told reporters in Eagle Pass, Texas, that the country's increasingly porous borders are empowering cartels, putting migrants at risk and leaving the country vulnerable to terrorist infiltration. He said he was there.
“One thing is absolutely clear,” he said. “America has reached a breaking point with record levels of illegal immigration.”
Prime Minister Johnson squarely blamed President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the record rate of illegal border crossers, calling the situation a rapidly unfolding “catastrophe.” Ta.
“The situation here and in other parts of the country is truly unconscionable,” Johnson said after visiting immigration processing centers and consulting with local residents and law enforcement officials. “We describe it as heartbreaking and upsetting.”
Mr. Johnson and other delegation members emphasized the central role of cartels in the border ecosystem, arguing that their human smuggling and drug importation operations are thriving.
Republicans have threatened to cut off additional aid to Ukraine if the migrant crisis is not addressed, and Johnson appeared to address that threat on Wednesday.
“If President Biden wants a supplementary spending bill focused on national security, he should start by protecting America's national security,” he said.
Johnson stressed that millions of people have crossed the border illegally since Biden took office, and that the rollback of Trump-era border security is intentionally creating chaos. .
“This is a disaster designed by the president himself,” he said, arguing that the vast majority of people crossing the border are not fleeing direct persecution or seeking legal political asylum.
“Under President Biden, the United States has thrown out a welcome mat for illegal immigrants, smugglers, and cartels,” Johnson said, arguing that mass immigration is reinforcing sexual slavery and fentanyl imports.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan also took to the stage at one point to criticize Biden and emphasize the seriousness of the border situation.
As Jordan (R-Ohio) spoke, an immigrant family with three children rushed across the Rio Grande into the United States, oblivious to political glamour.
A Texas Highway Patrol flying boat rushed to the scene and watched as the group hurried across the watershed out of sight.
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez, who represents Eagle Pass, warned that illegal immigration threatens the stability not only of border towns but of the entire country.
“It could start right here in Eagle Pass,” he said. “But it will soon arrive in San Antonio. And it will soon spread across the country.”
Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) told reporters that the Biden administration is intentionally allowing the problem to worsen.
“The greatest domestic threat to national security and the safety of the American people is Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,” he said.
Also on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tried to blame Johnson and his allies for the border dysfunction in her daily briefing, but since Johnson took office in 2016, He answered a reporter's question about not having had a one-on-one meeting with the president. October.
“Chairman Johnson has been very clear about where he stands on the border. He continues to work with House Republicans to make this a political issue and move forward with political maneuvering to address the border. has thwarted every effort of the President of the United States,'' Jean-Pierre said.
In response to another question, Jean-Pierre said Biden will work with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Deputy Kamala Harris, who has led the White House effort to address the “root causes” of illegal immigration since March 2021. He said he still has confidence in both presidents. .
“He has full confidence in her and will continue to do so,” Jean-Pierre said of Harris, who was in Las Vegas to visit Culinary Union members on Wednesday.
In fiscal year 2023, there were more than 3.2 million migrant encounters nationwide, 2.4 million of which were recorded at the southern border.
Observers have warned that the pace of illegal immigration is only accelerating, with December setting an all-time record for the month.
