Johnson Heads to Border, Turning Up Heat on Biden for an Immigration Deal

Speaker Mike Johnson is kicking off the new year by leading more than 60 House Republicans to the U.S.-Mexico border on Wednesday, in a bid to raise pressure on President Biden and Democrats to agree to strict new immigration policies to choke off the flow of migrants streaming into the country.

During a visit to Eagle Pass, Texas, Mr. Johnson is expected to attack Mr. Biden for the surge in migrant crossings and demand that he crack down by deporting people who try to enter the country illegally and resuming construction of a border wall. The visit comes as Senate Republicans and Democrats are struggling to reach an agreement on border policy changes that the G.O.P. has demanded as the price of supporting emergency spending legislation that would speed more than $50 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.

The talks have centered around making it more difficult for migrants to claim asylum in the United States, deporting or detaining more of those who cross the border and keeping more of them out of the country while they await a decision on whether they will be allowed to enter. Mr. Biden and Democrats in Congress, recognizing the political liability they face if they fail to address the border, have signaled openness to some changes, but not enough to satisfy Republicans. And in the House, Republicans are pressing for even more severe measures that Democrats are unlikely to embrace.

“This situation requires significant policy changes and House Republicans will continue advocating for real solutions that actually secure our border,” Mr. Johnson said Tuesday in a post on social media.

Republicans in both the House and Senate have insisted that sweeping immigration changes must be part of any bill to help Ukraine fight off