Page 2 - aruba-today-20190406

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 6 april 2019

Trump

Continued from Front der $1.4 billion for work on
border barricades. Trump
“There is indeed an emer- has asserted he can use
gency on our southern his powers as chief execu-
border,” Trump said at the tive to transfer an addi-
briefing, adding that there tional $6.7 billion to wall
has been a sharp uptick in construction. Trump, who
illegal crossings. “It’s a co- earlier in the week threat-
lossal surge, and it’s over- ened to shut down the bor-
whelming our immigration der over the high numbers
system. We can’t take you of migrants trying to enter
anymore. Our country is the U.S., appeared to walk
full.” back his comments Thurs-
As Air Force One touched day. He said Friday that it
down in the state, Cali- was because Mexico had
fornia and 19 other states gotten tougher in stopping
that are suing Trump over an influx of immigrants from
his emergency declara- moving north.
tion to build a border wall “Mexico has been abso-
requested a court order to lutely terrific for the last four
stop money from being di- days,” the president said as
verted to fund the project. he left the White House. “I
But Trump, who ratcheted never changed my mind
up his hard-line immigration at all. I may shut it down at
rhetoric in recent weeks, some point.”
declared that his move, The president’s visit came A U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle sits near the wall as President Donald Trump visits a
which included vetoing a a day after he withdrew new section of the border wall with Mexico in Calexico, Calif., Friday April 5, 2019.
congressional vote, was his nominee to lead U.S. Associated Press
necessary. Immigration and Customs mixed fact with fiction oppression and violence. though he declared Friday
Also on Friday, House Dem- Enforcement. Longtime when warning of the threat His words show a total dis- that at least 400 miles (650
ocrats filed a lawsuit pre- border official Ron Vitiello at the border. When com- regard of the Constitution, kilometers) of the border
venting Trump from spend- appeared to be cruising plaining about the Flores our justice system, and barrier would be erected
ing more money than toward confirmation, but legal settlement that gov- what it means to be an over the next two years.
Congress has approved Trump said Friday that he erns treatment of migrant American,” said Democrat- His administration so far
to erect barriers along the wanted to go in a “tougher children and families, he ic Gov. Gavin Newsom. has only replaced existing
southwestern border. Con- direction.” blamed “Judge Flores, Trump has been increasing- fencing. Construction for
gress approved just un- Trump, as he so often does, whoever you may be.” But ly exasperated at his inabil- that small chunk of fencing
Flores was an unaccompa- ity to halt the swelling num- cost about $18 million, be-
nied 15-year-old girl from El ber of migrants entering the gan in February 2018 and
Salvador. U.S., including thousands was completed in October.
He also downplayed the who have been released Plans to replace that fence
claims of people seeking after arriving because bor- date back to 2009, during
asylum at the border, de- der officials have no space President Barack Obama’s
claring without evidence for them. Arrests along the tenure. Administration of-
that many are gang mem- southern border have sky- ficials had been studying
bers while comparing some rocketed in recent months, ways to minimize the eco-
of their efforts to find safety and border agents were nomic impact of a poten-
in the U.S. to special coun- on track to make 100,000 tial border closure in case
sel Robert Mueller’s inves- arrests or denials of entry Trump went through with
tigation of Russian interfer- in March, a 12-year high. his threat, including keep-
ence in the 2016 elections. More than half of those are ing trucking lanes open or
“It’s a scam, it’s a hoax,” families with children, who closing only certain ports.
Trump said. “I know about require extra care. But even absent that ex-
hoaxes. I just went through The southern border is traordinary step, delays at
a hoax.” nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 ki- border stations have been
As the president showed lometers) long and already mounting after some 2,000
off the renovated section has about 650 miles (1,050 border officers were reas-
of the barrier to reporters, kilometers) of different signed from checking ve-
a balloon depicting Trump types of barriers, including hicles to deal with migrant
as a baby floated further short vehicle barricades crowds.
down the border. And as and tall steel fences that After the border visit, Trump
Trump landed in California, go up to 30 feet (9 meters) was slated to travel to Los
the state’s governor ripped high. Most of the fencing Angeles, where he was set
the president’s push for was built during George W. to hold a pair of fundraisers
Congress to pass legislation Bush’s administration, and in the deeply liberal city. He
that would tighten asylum there have been updates was then poised to travel
rules to make it harder for and maintenance through- to Las Vegas for another re-
people to qualify. out other administrations. election fundraiser and an
“Since our founding, this Trump has yet to com- address to the Republican
country has been a place plete any new mileage of Jewish Coalition, which is
of refuge — a safe haven fencing or other barriers backed by GOP mega-do-
for people fleeing tyranny, anywhere on the border, nor Sheldon Adelson.q