In a series of Twitter messages posted on Saturday, President Donald Trump discussed immigration, urging Congressional Democrats to help their Republican colleagues with ending “foolish loopholes” in the American immigration system.
In the first tweet of the series, Trump explained his administration’s decision to deploy 750 agents to the U.S-Mexico border, arguing that they have been deployed in order to help curb the “surge” of illegal immigrants trying to enter the United States. The president added that this maneuver will “cause traffic & commercial delays.”
In the next Twitter message, Trump — echoing his earlier statements — urged Mexico to help the United States and stop traveling migrants.
“Until Mexico cleans up this ridiculous & massive migration, we will be focusing on Border Security, not Ports of Entry,” he wrote.
In the last tweet of the mini-series, the president made an unusual plea to the Democratic Party, asking Congressional Democrats to vote with their Republican colleagues in order to help close the “costly and foolish” loopholes he claims exist in American immigration laws.
“In the meantime, the Democrats in Congress must help the Republicans (we need their votes) to end the horrible, costly and foolish loopholes in our Immigration Laws. Once that happens, all will be smooth. We can NEVER allow Open Borders!”
These statements come as no surprise, not only because Trump has campaigned and governed as an immigration hardliner, but because the administration appears to be embarking on yet another immigration crackdown. Trump appears to be amplifying his anti-immigration rhetoric, as administration officials campaign and advocate for stricter immigration laws.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , the president appears to have shifted his focus to Mexico, threatening to slap the United States’ southern neighbor with tariffs, and vowing to completely shut the border down unless the country’s government helps the U.S. in its anti-immigration efforts.
Trump said he could change immigration laws in “15 minutes,” blamed other countries for “not giving us their finest” https://t.co/LMvRmHZreB pic.twitter.com/PEC3hdWKPO
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 7, 2019
During a recent roundtable discussion, Trump told traveling migrants that the United States is “full,” urging them to “turn around.”
“Can’t take you anymore. Can’t take you. Our country is full. Our area is full, the sector is full. Can’t take you anymore. I’m sorry. So turn around. That’s the way it is,” the commander-in-chief said.
Trump also took aim at asylum seekers, describing the entire asylum application process as a “hoax.”
In an alleged effort to crack down on immigration, Trump recently cut humanitarian aid to three Latin American countries, prompting criticism from the Democrats, who argued that the move will only increase the numbers.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is formally addressing Congress, urging Democrats to increase funding for border security.