Speaker Johnson Leads Delegation to Border, Highlighting Immigration Crisis

The visit highlights Republican demands that the Senate tighten border security in exchange for additional military aid for Ukraine.

A migrant from Venezuela waits for a U.S. Border Patrol agent to cut the razor wire after he crossed the Rio Grande to Eagle Pass, Texas, on Sept. 24, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will lead a delegation of 60 Republican lawmakers to Eagle Pass, Texas, on Jan. 3, highlighting the illegal immigration crisis that has overwhelmed the Customs and Border Protection service, flooding both border communities and major cities with as many as 12,000 people a day entering the country unlawfully.

The visit comes amid negotiations between the House and Senate over approval of a $106 billion supplemental request from President Joe Biden, which includes $45 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel.