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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 17 March 2017

Ireland’s leader pushes Trump on illegal Irish immigrants

CATHERINE LUCEY culties Ireland will face as a
Associated Press result of Britain’s decision to
WASHINGTON (AP) — Irish leave the European Union.
Prime Minister Enda Kenny During an evening recep-
is urging President Donald tion at the White House,
Trump to help Irish people he described Ireland as “a
living in the U.S. illegally, committed member” of
saying they just want to the EU.
“make America great.” Trump supported the British
Kenny spoke at a luncheon vote to leave the 28-coun-
at the U.S. Capitol on Thurs- try bloc — known as Brexit
day as part of a series of — saying earlier this year
events celebrating St. Pat- that it would “end up being
rick’s Day, including a one- a great thing.”
on-one meeting with Trump Trump welcomed Kenny to
at the White House, where the White House, proclaim-
the two discussed immi- ing his love for Ireland. At
gration, trade and the Irish the luncheon, he called
economy. In the evening,
the pair participated in Kenny a “new friend” and
the annual shamrock cer- quoted an Irish proverb
emony, a decades-old tra- to remember friends that
President Donald Trump, left, and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, right, hold up a bowl of Irish dition in which Trump was “have stuck by you.” Trump
shamrocks during a St. Patrick’s Day reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, presented with a bowl of added, “Politically speak-
Thursday, March 16, 2017. Ireland’s famous greens. ing, a lot of us know that.”
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) On people living in the U.S. During the evening St. Pat-
illegally, Kenny said: “We rick’s Day reception, Trump
would like this to be sorted. hailed the relationship be-
It would remove a burden tween the two countries
of so many people that and pledged to be “an ev-
they can stand out in the er-faithful partner and an
light and say, now I am free always loyal friend.”
to contribute to America Kenny was the first EU politi-
as I know I can. And that’s cian to meet with Trump af-
what people want.” ter British Prime Minister The-
Kenny also urged Trump to resa May. German Chan-
consider providing more cellor Angela Merkel was
work visas “for young peo- scheduled to come to the
ple who want to come to White House on Tuesday,
America and to work here.” but that visit was moved
Some estimates put the Irish back to Friday because of
natives living in the country the snow.
illegally in the tens of thou- The St. Patrick’s Day event
sands. Kenny has made a at the White House dates
similar pitch on immigra-
tion in the past, but the cur- back to the 1950s and
rent U.S. administration’s has become an important
position on illegal immigra- standing engagement for
tion has heightened the Ireland, which has strong
underlying tension. emotional and ancestral
Trump ran on a promise to ties to the United States.
curtail illegal immigration. Speaking after Trump at the
His revised travel ban, af- luncheon, Kenny showed
fecting travelers from six off his country’s famed wit.
Muslim-majority nations, “They say the Irish have the
was set to go effect Thurs- capacity to change every-
day before it was put on thing,” he said. “I just saw
hold Wednesday by a fed- the president of the United
eral judge in Hawaii. States read from his script,
Kenny also sought to im- entirely.” But Kenny was
press upon Trump the diffi- also complimentary.q