In a recent briefing on the border crisis, Texas DPS provided Republicans with an update on the situation. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has responded to the White House’s attempt to blame House Republicans for the migrant crisis at the border. Johnson’s office released a memo detailing 64 actions taken by the Biden administration that they argue have exacerbated the border situation since President Biden took office.
Johnson criticized President Biden and his administration for undermining America’s border security. He claimed that Biden has manipulated the federal bureaucracy on more than 60 occasions to open the borders to illegal immigrants, human trafficking, fentanyl, and potential terrorists, resulting in a humanitarian and national security catastrophe. Johnson called on Biden to take unilateral action on border security, which he previously requested in a letter to the president.
The memo specifically pointed out Biden’s rollback of key Trump administration policies, such as the Remain in Mexico policy and the halting of the border wall construction. It also accused Biden of increasing barriers for enforcement actions by agents and expanding the use of catch-and-release, allowing undocumented migrants to await their immigration proceedings within the U.S. Johnson argued that these actions, along with the expansion of parole authorities and government assistance programs for undocumented migrants, have contributed to the historic increase in border encounters.
The memo included data on monthly border encounters, including unaccompanied children, as well as the amount of fentanyl seized at the border. It aimed to counter White House spokesman Andrew Bates’ accusation that House Republicans are worsening the border crisis by withholding approval for the president’s funding requests.
While ongoing conversations between GOP lawmakers and the White House are focused on seeking policy changes, some hardliners in the House Republican Conference have insisted on withholding all government funding unless these changes are made. Johnson himself expressed support for H.R.2, the House GOP border bill that would reinstate many of the Trump administration’s border policies, which the Tuesday memo criticized Biden for rolling back. However, Senate Democrats and the White House have deemed this bill a nonstarter.
Despite the political divide, both sides acknowledge the need for change as border communities and big cities across the country struggle with a surge of people seeking asylum in the U.S. The final numbers for December are yet to be released, but early reports suggest that it will be the highest monthly total in history, with over 300,000 migrant encounters at the southern border.
Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Johnson’s memo but has not received an immediate response. Elizabeth Elkind, a reporter for Digital who focuses on Congress and the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics, contributed to this article.
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