Speaker Mike Johnson spoke at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, calling the border an “absolute disaster.” He criticized President Biden and his administration for inaction and warned that the US was at a “breaking point.”
His trip to Eagle Pass, Texas, comes just days after officials announced that more than 302,000 people crossed the border illegally in December, marking the highest number in a single month ever recorded in history.
“The situation here and across the country is truly unacceptable.” “We would describe it as both heartbreaking and infuriating,” the speaker said during a news conference with 64 House Republicans.
A group of migrant children from Venezuela were seen in the river screaming, “Help me!” in front of Johnson as he toured the site and delivered remarks.
The speaker went on to say that officials “have no idea how many terrorists have come into the country” and have set up terrorist cells across the country, endangering Americans across the country.
Johnson also criticized the Biden administration for attacking Republican Gov. Abbott's efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico border – including by ferrying migrants out of the state to Democratic-run cities and installing a barbed wire barrier.
“Insanity is the only word we can think of to describe this,” he said of the White House’s ongoing efforts — which recently appealed to the Supreme Court — to block border officials from erecting the fence.
The group, moderated by Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents the region, heard from the Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety and sheriffs and toured the region. It is the first large congressional delegation to the border in history led by the new speaker. 
Johnson went on to say officials had “no idea how many terrorists had come into the country” and had set up terrorist cells across the country, endangering Americans across the country
Migrants are detained by officials at the Texas-Mexico border during Republicans' visit to Eagle Pass
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said earlier Wednesday that Texas was responsible for the crisis at the southern border as he blamed Gov. Greg Abbott for not “coordinating” with other governors and state leaders.
Johnson also criticized Senate Democrats for not joining the House in passing HR 2, a hardliner immigration bill that, among other things, would force the Biden administration to restart border wall construction.
Republicans called on the administration to resume the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy and immediately begin deporting migrants who arrived illegally.
We know what works and it is not “rocket science,” the speaker emphasized.
Mark Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, called Mayorkas “the greatest threat to the national security and homeland security of the American people” during the press conference.
“He broke his oath to defend this country,” he continued.
Green-led Republicans are moving forward with the formal impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas next week, confirmed earlier Wednesday.
The House Homeland Security Committee is scheduled to hold its first impeachment hearing against Mayorkas on January 10.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, released photos of discarded passports from China, Ukraine and other countries in Eagle Pass.
“Biden and Mayorkas say the border is secure. 'What do you think?' he added.
The DHS secretary told MSNBC this morning that he will “certainly” comply with the committee's impeachment inquiry.
But he said he is currently focused on finding “solutions to problems,” including by working with senators to find a bipartisan solution to border security measures.
Johnson also outlined the top two priorities of House Republicans returning to Washington next week.
“We want to close and secure the border first, and we want to make sure we reduce non-defense discretionary spending,” he told reporters.
The House faces a fast-approaching Jan. 19 deadline to reach agreement on key spending figures and border security before some federal funding runs out.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (right) is briefed by Texas Department of Public Safety Chief Steve McCraw
Republican members of Congress walk next to the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border on Wednesday.
Congress and President Joe Biden also remain in a standoff over funding for Ukraine.
The speaker was also asked about the 2024 elections, to which he replied optimistically: “I think we will have a Republican president.” “I think we will win the Senate and expand the majority in the House of Representatives.”
Republicans have seized on border security issues as a major issue in the 2024 election, creating a political headache for President Joe Biden.
“We have to do something, they have to give me the money I need to protect the border,” Biden said as he returned to Washington, DC from his Caribbean vacation on Tuesday evening.
The shocking figures from December also mark the first time that the number of encounters with migrants has exceeded 300,000. In 2020, there were only 400,000 crossings for the entire year.
Wednesday's trip comes the week before Congress is scheduled to return to face not only a host of spending deadlines but also a deal to tighten border security and provide foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel.
“This situation requires significant policy changes and House Republicans will continue to advocate for real solutions that actually secure our border,” Johnson said.
Concertina wire lines the path as members of Congress tour an area near the Texas-Mexico border on Wednesday, Jan. 3
Republican members of Congress arrive by bus at the Texas-Mexico border on Wednesday, January 3, 2024
House Speaker Mike Johnson is leading around 60 Republican members of Congress on a visit to the Mexican border.
With the trip, Republicans in the House of Representatives are focusing on the border issue at the beginning of the new year.
Spokesman Johnson wrote on
“Make no mistake, they are still being released into our country,” he continued, showing two side-by-side images of the Eagle Pass area.
In Eagle Pass, the local fire department is financially underwater as it is forced to spend a staggering $21,000 per day on migrant-related emergencies, according to Eagle Pass Fire Chief Manuel Mello.
“Not a day goes by that we don’t go to the riverfront to transport patients and the city covers the cost,” Mello told Fox News. Since mid-September, the department has spent $2.2 million responding to migrant-related calls. In fiscal year 2023, it only had a budget of $6.3 million.
Gonzales said the federal government has not reimbursed Eagle Pass for the cost of the migration surge.
The Texas National Guard detains migrants crossing the Rio Grande to seek humanitarian asylum before crossing the United States border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, January 2, 2024
A migrant crosses the Rio Grande on January 2, 2024
The group, moderated by Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents the region, will hear from the Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety and other stakeholders, and tour the region
The migrant surge forced the city to close railroad crossings in December so that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) personnel could be redirected “to assist the U.S. Border Patrol in detaining migrants.”
In December, Johnson sent a letter calling on President Biden to immediately use executive powers to stem the flow of migrants.
The speaker directed the president to end “catch and release” and to only turn away and parole all migrants encountered between ports of entry “on a case-by-case basis.”
He also called on the president to reinstate Trump-era measures such as building the wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico program and expanding expedited deportation for those who cannot prove they are eligible for asylum.
Johnson even called on Biden to suspend all immigration — using his authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The provision allows the president to suspend the entry of foreign citizens for an indefinite period of time if the entry is deemed “detrimental” to U.S. interests.
Late last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to discuss the migration crisis.
And before Christmas, the Democratic-led Senate left town without discussing the details of the massive immigration and foreign aid package.
Border officials stopped migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border around 300,000 times in December
Migrants cross the Rio Grande from Juarez, Mexico to the United States
Migrants cross the Rio Bravo on their way to the U.S. fence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Biden has asked Congress for $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the aid without reaching a deal with Democrats to tighten security along the U.S.-Mexico border . His request also includes $14 billion for Israel in the fight against Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border security.
Biden and his fellow Democrats have begun making major concessions on border security to reach a deal, including raising standards for asylum seekers and expanding the president's authority to quickly deport migrants who cross the border.
But no deal has been made yet.
Thousands more were expected to arrive in the coming days in the form of a massive migrant caravan heading through Mexico to the southern border. Videos and photos show the massive march, with families carrying large crosses and their possessions on their way to the United States
Last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill making illegal entry into the state a felony. This move also allows local law enforcement to arrest and deport migrants entering Texas.
Local authorities have already arrested migrants on federal offenses as part of Abbott's immigration program, Operation Lone Star. The new law is due to come into force in March.
Abbott had previously ordered the installation of a 1,000-foot floating barrier in Eagle Pass and the laying of barbed wire near the Rio Grande to prevent migrants from entering once they cross the river. Both measures were blocked in court.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene on its behalf after an appeals court blocked it from removing the razor wire while the lower court fight over the wire fence continued.
Abbott has also bused thousands of migrants to liberal-run cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles.