WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A political fight four decades in the making is coming to a head in the New Year. House Republicans are vowing to play hard ball to ensure Trump era immigration policies are part of a deal to secure the border.

During a visit to the Texas-Mexico border Wednesday they demanded the final text include changes to the country’s asylum laws and renewed construction of the border wall.

“We know what works, it’s not rocket science,” said newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La).

After border crossings spiked in recent weeks, Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) compared the situation at the border to war times and threatened extreme consequences if Republican demands are ignored.

“If that means having to shut down the government…do it” said Van Duyne.

The visit comes as bipartisan negotiations between senators and the White House resumed this week in Washington. The same group tried but failed to strike a deal before the holidays.

“We think those negotiations are headed in the right way,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre.

The Biden administration says it’s prepared to boost security to fix a broken immigration system but argue House Republicans are being unreasonable.

“They’re talking to themselves,” said Jean Pierre. “We’re in regular touch with Senate Republicans who are at the table with us having a real conversation about a bipartisan agreement.

Progressive Democrats are also frustrated over negotiations.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) says immigration groups and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have been left out of talks. As a result, he says he’s concerned the White House could cave to Republican pressure to change asylum laws.

“It’ll be more of a border crisis if we get rid of parole and some of the legal ways for people to come into the United States,” said Rep Khanna. “I’m not hopeful the way this process is going.”

Without buy-in from the House Republicans, a path forward is uncertain and could more broadly jeopardize aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.