WASHINGTON—America’s leading conservative border experts today responded to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s comments on the state of the country’s sovereignty during a congressional trip to Eagle Pass, Texas, one of the areas hit hardest by the increasingly dangerous border crisis. 

Tom Homan, former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Mark Morgan, former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Lora Ries, director of Heritage’s Border Security and Immigration Center and former acting deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to the trip and Speaker Johnson’s comments:  

“Every American is now impacted by Biden’s border catastrophe—the worst in our nation’s history. Weaponized mass illegal immigration is fueling the destruction of our economy, national security, public safety, and rule of law. While the Biden administration and Left-wing lawmakers continue to purposefully drive chaos and carnage at our southern border, House conservatives have taken critical steps to end it, notably through passage of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act—which continues to collect dust in the Senate. 

“As we enter yet another spending battle with border numbers almost unfathomably high, uniting behind H.R. 2 and impeaching DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are no longer just options for conservatives—they’re imperatives demanded by Americans across the country. H.R. 2 is the only effective and immediate solution to the madness that most of the conference has now witnessed firsthand. And Secretary Mayorkas is undoubtedly guilty of violating his oath and knowingly endangering the citizens he is supposed to serve.  

“We commend Speaker Johnson’s commitment to H.R. 2 and hope every lawmaker returns to Washington armed with the reality they experienced in Eagle Pass and a clear resolve in upcoming spending negotiations. Congress can defund the corrupt non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Biden policies that continue to welcome millions of illegal aliens into the country.  

“While Biden’s appointees and allies continue to ‘negotiate’ in the Senate, lawmakers on the Left have proven they have no real intention of ending the record tide of illegal immigration. If conservatives are united behind H.R. 2, the decision between the safety of a secure border and the chaos of unlimited illegal immigration lies solely with White House and their friends in the Senate. The American people are watching.” 

Morgan and Homan are also visiting fellows at The Heritage Foundation. All three experts are key members of one of the largest conservative border coalitions ever assembled, which was instrumental in the development of many of the policy proposals in H.R. 2. 

As the nation’s largest, most broadly supported conservative research and educational institution, The Heritage Foundation has been leading the American conservative movement since our founding in 1973. More than 500,000 dues-paying members support our vision to build an America where freedom, prosperity, opportunity, and civil society flourish.