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. » He said that a wall would be built along 230 miles of the border.
