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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met with Joe Biden this week to discuss the border crisis as a government shutdown looms.
Video footage of Johnson addressing reporters after his meeting with Biden on Tuesday was shared on X.
Johnson stated, “My purpose was to express what I believe is the obvious truth, that we must take care of America’s need first. When you talk about America’s needs, you have to talk first about our open border.”
“The first priority of the country is our border, and making sure it’s secure. I believe the President can take executive authority right now to change that. And I told him that again today in person,” he added.
Both “shut it down” and “close the border” were trending on X on Wednesday morning, with tens of thousands of posts decrying the border crisis.
In addition, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, recently spoke out against the prospect of violent criminals being allowed to illegally cross into the U.S. through the southern border.
According to the New York Post, he addressed the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was allegedly killed by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who was charged earlier this week.
He said, “It’s vital that the Senate pass Kate’s Law, as well as additional measures that make it easier to deport violent illegals and harder for them to come into our country and commit violent crimes.”
“Kate’s Law” is also known as the “Stop Illegal Reentry Act” which would increase criminal penalties for illegal immigrants who reenter the country after being removed.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise referenced another series of brutal attacks carried out by an illegal immigrant in Louisiana, stating, “President Biden must close the border NOW. How many more stories like this does he need to see?”
He then asked for everyone to, “Pray for the victims and their families.”
According to local news outlet Fox 8 Live, The Kenner Police Department arrested a 19-year-old Honduran man named Angel Matias Castellanos-Orellana, who entered the country illegally.
He is accused of engaging in a crime spree that began on Feb. 20 where he raped a 14-year-old girl at knifepoint, and then robbed another victim and stabbed him in the face multiple times on Feb. 25.
These are just a few examples of the crimes allegedly being committed across various states by illegal immigrants.
The majority of Americans agree with Speaker Johnson and other America First leaders. According to the latest PEW Research Center poll on the subject, 80 percent of Americans believe that the Biden administration is mishandling the border crisis.
The PEW poll also found that a whopping 78 percent of Americans believe that the mass illegal immigration at the southern border is a serious issue, with 45 percent calling it a “crisis,” and 32 percent calling it a “serious problem.”
Although there are some political divides, even 44 percent of Democrats stated that they view the border crisis as a “major problem.”