Dems reject Trump ‘concessions’

■ Shutdown prolonged as Prez offer to shield immigrants temporarily is turned down

Washington, Jan. 20: US President Donald Trump on Saturday offered to temporarily shield a million immigrants from deportation if Congress authorises funding for his Mexican border wall — an idea Democrats rejected, making the US government shutdown likely to grind on.

Trump attempted to seize the initiative in ending the 29-day partial shutdown, a funding freeze that has left many important government departments relying on unpaid or highly reduced staff.

His bargain, announced in a televised White House address, held out the carrot of protection from deportation for two categories of immigrants.

These include 700,000 socalled “Dreamers,” children of people who settled illegally in the US, and who have become a favourite cause of the Democrats, as well as 300,000 other immigrants whose protected status is expiring, Trump said.

The President said these concessions would “build the trust and goodwill necessary to begin real immigration reform.” In return, Trump demanded the $5.7 billion he says is needed to extend fences on the border with Mexico, something the opposition Democrats have repeatedly refused to authorise. That has prompted the President to retaliate with the government shutdown, which he triggered by not signing off on funding to swaths of departments.

The President also called for $800 million in “urgent humanitarian assistance” and $805 million for drug detection technology to secure US ports of entry.

“I am here today to break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown and solve the crisis on the southern border,” Trump said in his address.

Trump described the USMexico border — for decades a magnet for migrants, as well as a major drug smuggling route — as overwhelmed, posing a threat to US national security. Democrats spurned the negotiating offer as soon as it was leaked in media before the speech.

“His proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives,” said Nancy Pelosi.