Saturday marks the 29th day of the longest government shutdown in history
President Trump gave what he called a «major announcement» about the southern border and the partial government shutdown on Saturday. In his speech, Mr. Trump cited the «humanitarian crisis» at the border, where he said young children were being «exploited» by coyotes and women were being sexual assaulted. He did not distinguish between illegal migration and asylum seekers.
«The lack of border control provides a gateway — and a very wide and open gateway — to allow illegal criminal and aliens to get into the United States,» Mr. Trump said, adding that he would keep to the promise he made as a candidate to «fix this crisis.»
Mr. Trump then presented what the White House believes could be a deal to end the shutdown, saying he was speaking to «break the logjam.»
«It is a compassionate response to the ongoing tragedy at our southern border,» Mr. Trump said about his planned deal, said he hoped «Democrat lawmakers» would provide «their enthusiastic support.»
«The radical left can never control our borders. I will not let it happen. Walls are not immoral, in fact it is the opposite of immoral,» Mr. Trump said.
The deal Mr. Trump laid out included $800 million in immediate humanitarian aid, $805 million for improved drug detection technology at legal ports of entry, hiring 2,750 new border agents and 75 new immigration judge teams to reduce court backlogs — all of which Democrats support. The deal also includes new system to allow Central American minors to apply for asylum in their home countries.
However, it still contained the $5.7 billion demand for the wall, which he said would not be a «concrete barrier from sea to shining sea,» but would instead be «steel barriers.
