Frustrated by rising numbers of undocumented immigrants arriving at the southern border and a failure to get Congress to fully fund a US-Mexico border wall, Trump taunted Democrats by dangling the possibility of an influx of illegal immigrants into their communities.
“DEMOCRATS WILL BE VERY HAPPY”
“Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
He later said on Twitter that the proposal should make Democrats “very happy!” because they consistently “have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy.”
Trump’s overt threat of political retaliation come as congressional Democrats continue to oppose Trump’s efforts to legislate tougher immigration laws that would support his efforts to curtail legal and illegal immigration to the United States.
“WE ARE A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi strongly rebutted the president’s threat.
“It’s just another notion that is unworthy of the presidency of the United States and disrespectful of the challenges that we face as a county, as a people, to address who we are: a nation of immigrants,” Pelosi said, according to the Washington Post.
Last week when Trump told border agents to block asylum seekers from entering the US, in violation of American law, he also told Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan if he were to be jailed for following the president’s directive he would issue a presidential pardon, according to CNN.