In a recent communication between House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and President Joe Biden, Johnson strongly encouraged the President to take action in securing the southern border. According to Johnson's spokesman Raj Shah, the Speaker spoke with Biden on Wednesday and reiterated the contents of a letter he had previously sent to the President on December 21, 2023.

The letter from Johnson outlined several steps that he believed should be taken to address border security concerns. These steps included ending the policy that allows Customs and Border Protection to release migrants in the U.S. without court dates, denying entry or detaining undocumented immigrants at ports of entry, restricting parole for admitted migrants, and pursuing agreements with other countries, such as Canada, to handle those seeking U.S. asylum.

While the White House has not closed the door to a potential in-person meeting between Biden and Johnson, no such meeting has been scheduled at this time. The timing of this communication is crucial as some House Republicans are calling for a government shutdown if tougher border policies are not agreed upon by Biden and congressional Democrats.

Congress is facing a deadline to pass some spending bills by January 19 and others by February 2 in order to avoid a government shutdown. In response to the influx of migrants at the border, Republicans have criticized the Biden administration's handling of the situation. The House Homeland Security Committee held its first hearing on Wednesday as part of the GOP's effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

During a press briefing, Johnson expressed his concerns by stating, "We take no pleasure in this... But we live in unprecedented times, we've never had a Cabinet secretary who openly flouted federal law, who refused to enforce the law and then comes before Congress, raises his hand, takes the oath and tells us things that he knows and everyone knows are obviously untrue, insisting that the border is secure, and that they've got operational control of that is just simply not true."

Earlier this month, Johnson led a group of House Republicans to the southern border in Texas to draw attention to the record number of migrant crossings and to criticize the Biden administration's immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, negotiations in the Senate are ongoing as lawmakers aim to reach an agreement on border policy. Senator James Lankford, R-Okla., a key figure in the talks, expressed optimism that a deal could be reached this week. However, he emphasized that for any agreement to become law, it would require the support of a Democrat Senate, a Democratic White House, and a Republican House.

The conversation between Speaker Johnson and President Biden reflects the importance of addressing border security concerns and finding a common ground on immigration and border policies. As the deadline for spending bills approaches, all parties involved will need to work towards a solution that meets the needs of the country while ensuring the security of the southern border.