Speaking live from the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump told reporters that “I’d love to see a shutdown” if Democratic leaders refuse to back his immigration proposals – specifically his push to tighten illegal immigration laws to make it more difficult for immigrants to sponsor relatives – a phenomenon Trump has called “chain migration.”
As Reuters reported, Trump said during a meeting with law enforcement officials that focused on gang violence, adding that his ultimate goal is to change immigration laws to stem the flow of dangerous MS-13 gang members into the US.
He also reiterated his demands that funding for the border wall be a part of a hoped-for immigration deal. Last month, the White House submitted a proposal for $18 billion in funding to start construction on the first 700 miles of the wall.
“If they don’t want to take care of our military then shut it down,” Trump said.
“We need much better border mechanisms and much better border security. We need the wall. We’re going to get the wall,” Trump said. “If we don’t have the wall, we’re never going to solve this problem.”
He also said he’d welcome a shutdown if Congress can’t pass a plan – demanding by Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows – to separate out defense spending from the continuing resolution in order to make an appropriation that would cover the remainder of he year.
See headlines from the meeting below.
*TRUMP: IF WE DON’T GET RID OF LOOPHOLES LET’S HAVE `SHUT DOWN’
*TRUMP SAYS IF CONGRESS CANNOT AGREE TO EXTEND FUNDING FOR U.S. MILITARY, THEN HE WELCOMES A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
*PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE’D “LOVE TO SEE A SHUTDOWN” IF CANNOT GET CHANGES TO IMMIGRATION LAWS
*U.S. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS NEED TO HAVE IMMIGRATION LAWS CHANGED IN ORDER TO HAVE SATISFACTORY RESPONSE TO MS 13 GANG
*PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE’D “LOVE TO SEE A SHUTDOWN” IF CANNOT GET CHANGES TO IMMIGRATION LAWS
*U.S. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS NEED TO HAVE IMMIGRATION LAWS CHANGED IN ORDER TO HAVE SATISFACTORY RESPONSE TO MS 13 GANG
* * *
Trump’s insistence on border wall funding will probably dismay GOP Senate leaders including Texas Sen. John Thune, who said yesterday that Republicans would prefer to push the immigration debate until after the continuing resolution has passed. That sentiment was echoed by GOP Senator Mitch McConnell Tuesday afternoon, once again setting the president at odds with his Congressional leadership.
Earlier today, Trump tweeted a Daily Caller story claiming that the majority of Americans support a DACA compromise that would fully strengthen the border and include changes to legal immigration laws.
Polling shows nearly 7 in 10 Americans support an immigration reform package that includes DACA, fully secures the border, ends chain migration & cancels the visa lottery. If D’s oppose this deal, they aren’t serious about DACA-they just want open borders. https://t.co/XDMcDOr9vM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018
Republican leaders have also raised the possibility of bundling a bill to raise the debt ceiling with the short-term spending bill.
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