Trump visits border, says he’s ready for emergency
WASHINGTON: The White House is reportedly preparing the ground for US President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency and has instructed the army’s corps of engineers to look into its appropriations for unspent money to fund the Us-mexico border wall, which he pitched on Thursday during a visit to the border in Texas.
Negotiations with Democrats are stalemated, a compromise package mooted by a group of Republican lawmakers has failed to find traction with the White House, and with few other proposals on the table, talk of a national emergency has gained ground.
Trump himself is not averse to it as he has made it amply clear over the past few days. But he has sought to demonstrate a preference for resolving the stalemate through negotiations.
“I’m prepared for anything,” he told reporters during his visit to the southern border in Mcallen, Texas. “We can declare a national emergency.”
The White House’s request to the Pentagon is focused on money already allocated, but not “obligated” to the engineering corps for disaster relief projects meant to minimise the impact of natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Texas and some other areas that are dealing with the after-effects of recent catastrophes.
The partial shutdown of the government entered the 21st day on Friday and could become the longest in US history if it lasts until Saturday.
During the visit to the border, he sought to drum up support for the wall by doubling down on a narrative of a humanitarian and security crisis, which has been called out through emotional endorsements from relatives of victim of crimes by illegal immigrants.
“The way he was killed, what my family’s going through right now, I do not want any other family’s law enforcement person to go through,” said Reggie Singh, brother of Ronil Singh, the Fijian-american police officer who was killed by an illegal immigrant in California last month. Singh was 33.