President Trump on Thursday warned that he may take military action to stop immigrants from crossing the southern border into the U.S. if Mexico does not take action to stop the “onslaught.”
Trump in a series of early-morning tweets also blamed Democrats for the “assault on our country,” adding that illegal immigration is “far more important” to him than trade or the recently negotiated trade pact with Mexico and Canada.
And he railed against Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, saying they “have almost no control over their population.”
{mosads}”I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S.,” he said in an initial tweet.
“In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught — and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!” he said in a follow-up post.
“The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA,” he added, referring to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade. “Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border. All Democrats fault for weak laws!”
The tweets come as a migrant caravan of more than 4,000 people moves north from Honduras toward the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump has threatened to withhold funds for some Central American countries over the caravan.
In fiscal 2017, the U.S. gave about $248 million in aid to Guatemala, $175 million to Honduras and $115 to El Salvador.
Trump said in April that he wanted to deploy U.S. troops to guard the southern border until his proposed wall was built.
The president told reporters that he had been discussing the idea with Defense Secretary James Mattis.
“Until we can have a wall and proper security, we are going to be guarding our border with the military,” Trump said during a meeting with Baltic state leaders. “That’s a big step. We really haven’t done that before, or certainly not very much before.”
Mattis later authorized the National Guard to deploy up to 4,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
A memo signed by the Pentagon chief allowed the use of Title 32 and Defense Department dollars for up to 4,000 National Guard personnel to support the Department of Homeland Security’s “southern border security mission while under the command and control of their respective governors through September 30, 2018.”
A number of governors, however, refused to send troops to the border, citing Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, which resulted in the separation of thousands of migrant families.
Updated at 8:53 a.m.