Claims they want to ‘infest’ US with illegals for votes
President Trump on Tuesday defied mounting bipartisan pressure to end his zero-tolerance policy of separating migrant children from their parents — and charged that Democrats wanted “illegal immigrants” to “infest” the United States so they could get their votes.
“Democrats are the problem. They don’t care about crime and want illegal immigrants, no matter how bad they may be, to pour into and infest our Country, like MS-13. They can’t win on their terrible policies, so they view them as potential voters!” the commander in chief raged on Twitter.
Later, during a rambling speech at the National Federation of Independent Business’ 75th anniversary celebration in DC, the president repeated the allegation.
“Democrats love open borders. Let the whole world come in. Let the whole world. MS-13 gang members from all over the place, come on in — we have open borders,” he said.
“They view that as potential voters. Someday, they’re going to vote for Democrats.”
He defended his hard-line policy, saying that “only 2,000” children had been taken away from their parents.
“We must always arrest people coming into our country illegally. Of the 12,000 children, 10,000 are being sent by their parents on a very dangerous trip, and only 2000 are with their parents, many of whom have tried to enter our Country illegally on numerous occasions,” the president tweeted.
“If you don’t have Borders, you don’t have a Country!” he added in another tweet.
“#CHANGETHELAWS Now is the best opportunity ever for Congress to change the ridiculous and obsolete laws on immigration. Get it done, always keeping in mind that we must have strong border security,” he added.
Trump met with GOP colleagues in the House on Tuesday night and pledged his support for two immigration bills that he said would “build the wall” and “solve the border crisis and family-separation issue.”
However, one of the president’s top allies in Congress said he’d introduce legislation to stop the family separations in case the broader immigration bills failed.
North Carolina GOP Rep. Mark Meadows, leader of the conservative Freedom Caucus, said his bill “becomes a backup proposal.”
As Trump walked through the Capitol rotunda, the tension surrounding the situation was in full view when an intern shouted, “Mr. President, f--k you” at him. The woman was not identified, and the Capitol Police were looking to talk to her.
Democrats are united in their opposition to Trump’s policy, and a growing number of Republicans — including conservative Texas Sen. Ted Cruz — are also calling for an end to the separations.
“All Americans are rightly horrified by the images we are seeing on the news, children in tears pulled away from their mothers and fathers. This must stop. Now,” Cruz said.
All 49 Senate Democrats have already signed on to a measure that would end the separations. It is unclear if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is looking at that suggestion.
Officials said Tuesday that 2,342 minors were separated from their parents who were caught trying to enter the United States illegally from May 5 to June 9.
In his speech, Trump insisted that he wanted to end the policy but that Congress had to act on immigration reform.
“We want to solve family separation. I don’t want children taken away from parents, and when you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away,” he said.