House Speaker leads Republican delegation to US-Mexico border; pressures Biden on immigration crackdown

​​​​​​​By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson led a delegation of 64 Republican leaders to the southern border Wednesday to emphasize that President Joe Biden's immigration policies are failing.

"Under President Biden, America has laid out a welcome mat to illegal immigrants, smugglers and cartels. He is responsible for the grave threat to our national security and our nation’s sovereignty that these policies have created," Johnson said at a news conference. "But instead of taking responsibility and providing leadership, this administration has done nothing but attack elected officials who are trying to fix this catastrophe."

The delegation toured one of the main border cities in Eagle Pass, Texas, where illegal immigrant crossings have ramped up in recent months. The latest data showed a record 302,000 migrants crossing the US-Mexico border in December, an increase of nearly 60,000 from 242,416 in November and an additional 61,000 crossings compared to the 240,998 in October, according to ABC News.

"It's been an eye-opener," said Johnson. "One thing is absolutely clear: America is at a breaking point with record levels of illegal immigration and today we got a firsthand look at the damage and the chaos the border catastrophe is causing in all of our communities.

"The situation here and across the country is truly unconscionable," he said.

The Biden administration countered Johnson's claims and slammed Republicans for blocking the president's request for funding before the holiday recess.

"In fact, right now, instead of joining the Biden Administration and members of both parties in the Senate to find common ground, Speaker Johnson is continuing to block President Biden's proposed funding to hire thousands of new Border Patrol agents, hire more asylum officers and immigration judges, provide local communities hosting migrants additional grant funding, and invest in cutting edge technology that is critical to stopping deadly fentanyl from entering our country," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.

The Biden administration has proposed a $14 billion package to improve border security and provide military aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. But Republicans have opposed the measure, saying that adding border agents and immigration judges are not enough and that sweeping changes to immigration laws must be included.

"If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin by defending America’s national security," said Johnson.