Wall along Mexico border: Trump sticks to his guns

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump was adamant on wall on the US border with Mexico and called on Congress on Wednesday to give him $5.7 billion this year but stopped short of declaring a national emergency to pay for the wall with military funds.

Facing Democratic opposition in Congress to a wall, Trump said in a prime-time televised speech that there was a growing security crisis at the US-Mexico border. Using blunt language in an attempt to win public support, Trump said illegal immigrants and drugs flowing across the southern border posed a serious threat to American safety. “How much more American blood will be shed before Congress does its job?” Trump said after recounting gruesome details of murders he said were committed by illegal immigrants.

But after days of hinting he might use presidential powers to declare an emergency as a first step towards directing money for the wall without congressional approval, Trump said he would continue seeking a solution to the impasse with Congress.

Trump is scheduled to visit the southwest border on Thursday and it was not clear whether he still might choose to make the national emergency declaration. Trump’s remarks came 18 days into a partial government shutdown precipitated by his demand for the wall, which he has said is needed to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs.

Democrats and other opponents of a border wall had threatened to take legal action if Trump issued the order. They say he is using false claims and manufacturing a crisis to carry out his 2016 presidential campaign promise for a wall that he said at the time would be paid for by Mexico.

Hoping to demonstrate flexibility during his nearly 10-minute speech from the White House Oval Office, Trump said of the border barrier he wants built: “At the request of the Democrats it will be a steel barrier and not a concrete wall.”