House Speaker Johnson Urges President Biden to Take Executive Action to Address Record Tide of Illegal Immigration at the Southern Border

President Joe Biden and Mexican President López Obrador held a phone call Thursday morning to discuss the ongoing crisis at the southern border, as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent a letter to the President urging him to take executive action to stem the record tide of illegal immigration.

In his letter, Johnson called for the President to end the policy allowing Customs and Border Protection to release migrants without court dates, and “turnback or detain all aliens encountered between ports of entry”; restrict parole, which allows the president to temporarily admit some migrants; and pursue agreements with third countries like Canada to take those seeking asylum in the U.S. Johnson also urged Biden to resume construction of the border wall.

During the call, President Biden and President Obrador discussed the threats of illicit drugs, like fentanyl, and ways to expand cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement. The two leaders also agreed that additional enforcement actions are urgently needed in order to reopen key ports of entry.

With Congress gone for the year with no border deal, President Biden is now faced with the task of finding a solution to the crisis at the southern border. While Johnson has urged the President to take executive action, it remains to be seen what steps the President will take to address the issue.