President Donald Trump asserted Tuesday that border enforcement agents had successfully turned back the caravans of migrants trying to enter the United States, despite reports of increased illegal border crossings.
“Despite the large Caravans that WERE forming and heading to our Country, people have not been able to get through our newly built Walls, makeshift Walls & Fences, or Border Patrol Officers & Military,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
In November 2018, there were nearly 52,000 border crossings on the southern border, the highest number of illegal immigrants in the month of November since 2006.
Last week, Customs and Border Patrol released video of a suspected smuggler dropping children over a wall on the border and the Associated Press has documented migrants scrambling under and over border barriers in order to enter the United States.
CBP said Tuesday that the San Diego sector has experienced a “slight uptick” in families entering the U.S. illegally as a result of the caravans reaching the Southern border.
Trump highlighted reports that some of the caravan migrants were accepting work in Mexico as they waited for their chance to enter the United States.
“They are now staying in Mexico or going back to their original countries,” he wrote. “Ice, Border Patrol and our Military have done a FANTASTIC job of securing our Southern Border.”
But Trump argued that a “Great Wall” was still necessary, ahead of his Tuesday meeting with the once and future Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“The Democrats, however, for strictly political reasons and because they have been pulled so far left, do NOT want Border Security,” Trump wrote. “They want Open Borders for anyone to come in. This brings large scale crime and disease.”
Trump argued that the border was “secure” despite reports claiming the opposite.
“Our Southern Border is now Secure and will remain that way,” he wrote. “I look forward to my meeting with Chuck Schumer & Nancy Pelosi.”
Pelosi and Schumer issued a statement prior to their meeting with Trump, warning him to avoid a government shutdown over wall funding.
“Our country cannot afford a Trump Shutdown, especially at this time of economic uncertainty,” they wrote. “This holiday season, the president knows full well that his wall proposal does not have the votes to pass the House and Senate, and should not be an obstacle to a bipartisan agreement.”
Trump reminded both of the leaders that they used to support border security.
“In 2006, Democrats voted for a Wall, and they were right to do so,” he wrote. “Today, they no longer want Border Security. They will fight it at all cost, and Nancy must get votes for Speaker. But the Wall will get built.”
Trump proposed the idea of having the military build the wall, arguing that he had already substantially renovated existing fencing with the $1.6 billion for border security in the last funding bill.
“If the Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country, the Military will build the remaining sections of the Wall,” he wrote. “They know how important it is!”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.