Donald Trump spoke to the nation yesterday. He couched his speech as an effort to negotiate a deal to open the government -- but it was just a dressed-up version of the same old effort to get his wall.
The first half of his speech contained the same lies he has been telling for ages now -- that a wall would prevent gangs, terrorists, crime, and drugs. It is simply not true. A wall would not stop any of that.
He then proposed new money for technological equipment at the border, more immigration judges, and more immigration officers. This is not new, and not his idea. This money was in the bill passed by the Senate in the 115th Congress, and the House in the 116th Congress -- and Democrats are willing to fund these things.
One real change he proposed was to allow people to apply for asylum in their own country. That's a terrible idea. It would just deny those people a hearing before an immigration judge. Trump's State Department officials could just summarily deny the claims. He wants us to believe that asylum seekers at our border are "illegal". They aren't. They have a legal right to turn themselves in at the border and ask for asylum.
But the meat of his "offer" was his desire to take a three year extension of DACA and TPS protections for the $5.7 billion he wants to start building his wall. That's not good enough. It should be rejected by Democrats. The wall is not needed, and it is not wanted by a majority of Americans. And a three year extension for DACA and TPS is insufficient. It should be permanent.
Trump claimed his proposal was a compromise. It wasn't. It's his same old lies and desires. It should be rejected!
