WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would allow thefederal government to shut down if Democrats refuse to back his demand fora wall at the Mexican border and other major changes to immigration lawshis administration wants.
“I would be willing to ‘shut down’ government if the Democrats do not giveus the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid ofLottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration basedon MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!” Trump said onTwitter.
The Republican president has used the threat of a government shutdownseveral times since taking office in 2017 in a bid to get his priorities incongressional spending bills, especially funding for a wall along thesouthern U.S. border.
A disruption in federal government operations in the months before Novembercongressional elections could backfire on Trump if voters blameRepublicans, who control Congress, for the interruption in services.
Trump wants Congress to pass legislation that addresses immigration issues,including the border wall, changing the way visas are allotted and otherimmigration restrictions.
Although Republicans control Congress, disagreements between moderates andconservatives in the party have impeded a speedy legislative fix.
Standoffs over spending levels and immigration led to a three-daygovernment shutdown, mostly over a weekend, in January and an hours-longshutdown in February.
The Republican president has made tougher immigration laws a centerpiece ofhis administration, from the first ill-fated travel ban on people frompredominantly Muslim nations to the current battle raging over theseparation of illegal immigrant children from their parents at theU.S.-Mexico border.
A federal judge on Friday urged the U.S. government to focus on findingdeported immigrant parents so it could reunite them with their children whoremain in the United States.
Trump has requested $25 billion to build the border wall and $1.6 billionhas already appropriated for the project.