KEEP THE ‘CARAVANS’ OUT
Trump: ‘Our country is being stolen’
President Trump on Monday repeated his Easter warning about “caravans” of immigrants traveling unimpeded through Mexico to the United States in a Twitter thread that declared, “Our country is being stolen.”
“Mexico has the absolute power not to let these large ‘Caravans’ of people enter their country. They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws,” Trump wrote.
The president on Sunday referenced a segment on “Fox and Friends” about a “caravan” of people from Central America making a beeline to the US border, citing a report on BuzzFeed.
He urged Congress to bolster border security and again suggested employing the “Nuclear Option” to make it easier for Republican lawmakers to pass legislation.
“Congress must immediately pass Border Legislation, use Nuclear Option if necessary, to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People,” Trump wrote. “Act now Congress, our country is being stolen!”
The option would allow the GOP-controlled Senate to alter filibuster rules to require a simple majority of 51 votes to pass legislation, instead of the current 60.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hasn’t been receptive to that tactic because it would allow Democrats to push through bills if they gain the Senate majority.
Trump also declared the end of negotiations over the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy that protects immigrants brought to the US illegally as children by their parents.
“DACA is dead because the Democrats didn’t care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon,” the president posted on Twitter.
The program, which Trump rescinded last September, protects immigrants brought to the US before 2007.
DACA wasn’t included in last month’s $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill.
Neither were the funds Trump requested to build the Mexican border barrier.
The bill allocated $1.6 billion for border security but directed only $38 million for “border barrier planning and design.” Trump wanted $25 billion. Meanwhile, the 1,000-plus member caravan is making poor time as it walks through Mexico, BuzzFeed reported on Monday.
The group, led by organizers from People Without Borders and comprising mainly of Hondurans, left Tapachula, Mexico, on March 25 for the US border.
Many said their plan was to seek political asylum in the US.
A member of the caravan told BuzzFeed this was going to be his third attempt at getting to the United States.
“Going alone is risky. You’re risking an accident, getting jumped by robbers, and even your life,” said Mateo Juan, 29.
“All of that, and then you don’t get to the United States. The caravan is slower but you know you’re going to get there safely.”
But by Monday, local officials were limiting their travel while members of the group resupplied with food and water and sought rest — still hundreds of miles from the United States.