- The call came as Republicans held a hearing on impeaching Mayorkas and held a hearing to advance a resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt
- In the letter, the speaker directed the president to end catch-and-release and even use emergency authority to temporarily halt all migration.
Speaker Mike Johnson and President Biden spoke by phone Wednesday about the dire migrant crisis, and the speaker urged Biden to take executive action to close the border.
“Speaker Johnson spoke with President Biden today. The speaker strongly encouraged the president to use his executive authority to secure the southern border,” Johnson spokesman Raj Shah wrote on X.
Finding a solution to the border is imperative as more than 200,000 migrants entered the US in December – the highest single-month total in history.
Senate Republicans are in ongoing negotiations with the White House to reach an agreement on a border security package related to aid to Ukraine and Israel.
It was not clear whether Johnson or Biden took the initiative on Wednesday, but it came on the same day that Republicans held their first hearing on whether to impeach Biden’s Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas.
Johnson also called on the president to reinstate Trump-era policies such as building the wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico program and expanding expedited removal for those who cannot prove eligibility for asylum.
According to the speaker’s office, Johnson reiterated the contents of a Dec. 21 letter he sent to the president during the call.
In the letter, the speaker instructed the president to end “catch-and-release,” which requires migrants found between ports of entry to be turned away and can only be used on a “case-by-case basis” are made of parole.
According to the speaker’s office, Johnson reiterated the contents of a December 21 letter
Johnson even urged Biden to suspend all immigration — using his authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Johnson even urged Biden to suspend all immigration — using his authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
This provision allows the president to indefinitely suspend the entry of foreign citizens if admitting them is deemed “detrimental” to U.S. interests.
“This catastrophe requires the full attention and commitment of your administration, especially since Senate Majority Leader Schumer yesterday suspended the Senate for one year,” Johnson said in the December letter, pointing to the tough immigration bill. House passed earlier this year, HR2.
The letter noted that Customs and Border Protection encountered nearly 2.5 million migrants in fiscal 2023 and was on track to break that record in 2024.
By the end of the year, the number of border crossings was as high as 12,000 per day. Border agents say their resources are “at capacity” with about 5,000 crossings per day.
“The wide open border has caused unspeakable human tragedy for migrants and certainly for our own citizens,” Johnson wrote, pointing to human trafficking, fentanyl and people on the terrorist watch list crossing the borders.
Johnson led a delegation of more than 60 Republican lawmakers to Eagle Pass, Texas, last week to see the crisis firsthand and speak with law enforcement agencies.