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U.S. NEWS Saturday 30 March 2019
MEXICO BORDER the DHS official said Friday
Continued from Front that the department was
Homeland Security Secre- seeking volunteers from
tary Kirstjen Nielsen suggest- other agencies to help.
ed Trump was referring to In Florida, Trump was also
the ongoing surge of most- asked about the two mi-
ly Central American fami- grant children who died
lies heading north through in U.S. custody in Decem-
Mexico. Many people who ber. Is the administra-
cross the border illegally tion equipped to handle
ultimately request asylum sick children who are de-
under U.S. law, which does tained?
not require asylum seekers "I think that it has been very
to enter at an official cross- well stated that we have
ing. done a fantastic job," he
Short of a widespread shut- said, defending Border Pa-
down, Nielsen said the U.S. trol efforts to help the chil-
might close designated dren.
ports of entry to re-deploy Trump said that in one of
staff to help process par- the cases "the father gave
ents and children. Ports of the child no water for a President Donald Trump walks with, from left, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.,
entry are official crossing long period of time." and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., during a visit to Lake Okeechobee and Herbert Hoover Dike at Canal
points that are used by resi- "It was a very tough situa- Point, Fla., Friday, March 29, 2019.
dents and commercial ve- tion and that trek up, that's Associated Press
hicles. a long hard trek," he said.
"If we have to close ports to "It's a horrible situation. But U.S. "In terms of a long-term sending out a message to may not work at any time.'
take care of all of the num- Mexico could stop it." effect, it's basically shoot- other countries that, 'Don't That is extremely scary and
bers who are coming, we Democratic and Repub- ing yourself in your foot. It's come because our borders dangerous."q
will do that," Nielsen said. lican lawmakers have
"So it's on the table, but fought over Trump's con-
what we're doing is a very tention that there is a "crisis"
structured process based at the border, particularly
on operational needs." amid his push for a bor-
The White House did not der wall, which he claims
immediately respond to will solve immigration
questions about whether problems, though a wall
Trump's possible action wouldn't keep out families
would apply to air travel. who cross at official points
Trump's latest declaration so they can surrender and
came after Mexican Presi- be detained.
dent Andres Manuel Lopez The president called on
Obrador said his country Congress to immediately
was doing its part to fight change what he said were
migrant smuggling. Crimi- weak U.S. immigration
nal networks charge thou- laws, which he blamed on
sands of dollars a person Democrats. The Depart-
to move migrants through ment of Homeland Security
Mexico, increasingly in wants the authority to de-
large groups toward re- tain families for longer and
mote sections of the bor- more quickly deport chil-
der. dren from Central America
"We want to have a good who arrive at the border on
relationship with the gov- their own.
ernment of the United The department argues
States," Lopez Obrador said those policy changes
Friday. He added: "We are would stop families from
going to continue helping trying to enter the U.S.
so that the migratory flow, Alejandra Mier y Teran, ex-
those who pass through ecutive director of the Otay
our country, do so accord- Mesa Chamber of Com-
ing to the law, in an orderly merce in San Diego, said
way." the mere threat of border
Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's closures sends the wrong
foreign relations secretary, message to businesses in
tweeted that his coun- Mexico and may eventu-
try "doesn't act based on ally scare companies into
threats" and is "the best turning to Asia for their sup-
neighbor" the U.S. could ply chains.
have. "I think the impact would be
Customs and Border Pro- absolutely devastating on
tection commissioner Kevin so many fronts," said Mier y
McAleenan said Wednes- Teran, whose members rely
day that 750 border inspec- on the Otay Mesa crossing
tors would be reassigned to to bring televisions, medi-
deal with the growing num- cal devices and a wide
ber of migrant families, and range of products to the