Politics

Trump Revises Threat To Close US-Mexico Border

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Saagar Enjeti White House Correspondent
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President Donald Trump revised his threat to imminently close the U.S.-Mexico border in retaliation to Mexico’s failure to stop Central American migrants from entering the United States, he said at a Thursday White House meeting.

“We’ll give them a one-year warning and if the drugs don’t stop or largely stop, we’ll put tariffs on Mexico and products, in particular cars, the whole ball game is cars, it is the big ball game with many countries, it’s cars. If that doesn’t stop the drugs, we close the border,” Trump said.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to close the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks, stating his belief that they are not taking aggressive enough action to deport Central American migrants who seek to claim asylum at the border.

The situation at the border in recent weeks has become dire. National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd told Daily Caller Editorial Director Vince Coglianese Tuesday that the influx of migrants was the worst crisis in the history of border enforcement since 1924.

Judd’s comments come days after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told reporters the situation at the border is nearing its “breaking point” as the United States is on track to bring in nearly 1 million illegal immigrants.

Officials say the number of family units arriving at the border claiming asylum exacerbate the crisis. The asylum claims require adjudication in U.S. court and release them into the interior of the country with only a court order to appear before a judge. Many of these asylum seekers end up remaining inside the United States even after their asylum claims are rejected.