President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE lashed out at Democrats on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to return from their "vacations" and address a surge in illegal crossings at the southern border that the Trump administration says has become a crisis.

In a tweet, the president predicted that the number of immigrants illegally crossing the southern border would "only get worse" despite the efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

"Democrats in Congress must return from their Vacations and change the Immigration Laws, or the Border, despite the great job being done by Border Patrol, will only get worse," Trump tweeted, adding: "Big sections of Wall now being built!"

ADVERTISEMENT

Democrats in Congress must return from their Vacations and change the Immigration Laws, or the Border, despite the great job being done by Border Patrol, will only get worse. Big sections of Wall now being built! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2019

The tweet comes as the House and Senate are both in two-week recess for Easter.

Immigration policies and Trump's proposal for a wall along the Mexico border have been regular points of contention between the White House and congressional Democrats.

The president's comments come as he has battled reports suggesting that he offered a pardon to CBP chief Kevin McAleenan if he took any actions to secure the border later found to be illegal.

Trump told the CBP official that he ”would pardon him if he ever went to jail for denying U.S. entry to migrants,” CNN reported Friday.

Democratic lawmakers have requested information on the conversations between the two men, calling such an offer a violation of the president's authority.

"These allegations, if true, would represent a grave breach of the duties of the President," read a letter to McAleenan from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler Jerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerDemocrats shoot down talk of expanding Supreme Court Schumer: 'Nothing is off the table' if GOP moves forward with Ginsburg replacement Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE (D-N.Y.).

McAleenan has said publicly that the Trump administration is nearing a "breaking point" in terms of the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

“Two weeks ago, I briefed the media and testified in Congress that our immigration system was at the breaking point. That breaking point has arrived this week at our border," McAleenan said last month.

"CBP is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our southwest border and nowhere has that crisis manifested more acutely than here in El Paso,” he added.

Trump's tweet also comes a day after Attorney General William Barr issued a ruling that asylum-seekers who are able to demonstrate a "credible fear" and are then sent to full deportation proceedings are not eligible to be released on bond.

In the ruling, which will go into effect in 90 days, Barr states that only the Department of Homeland Security has the authority to release the asylum-seekers.