According to an Interview with The Department of Homeland Security Cheif, The Border Wall is still “first and foremost” on the list of priorities for the Trump Admisntration on immigration.
The secretary said she was hopeful the White House and Congress can reach a deal that includes border and immigration enforcement measures. She said building a wall along the Mexico border was “first and foremost,†and the administration wanted to end “loopholes†on issues that include handling asylum claims and local police working with immigration authorities.
She went further.
Nielsen said closing enforcement “loopholes†was also a priority. She mentioned refusals by some local police to honor requests from federal authorities to detain people in the country illegally; special legal protections for unaccompanied children who enter the country illegally and are not from Mexico or Canada; and criteria for passing an initial screening on asylum claims.
Nielsen said she believed any permanent protection for DACA recipients should be limited to the hundreds of thousands who qualified during the three years it was in effect, not anyone who would meet the criteria if it were still in place. She said it should include permission to work.
This is all fantastic news for Trump voters. She not only is pointing out the necessity for the border wall in any DACA deal but she also talks about getting rid of the loopholes as it pertains to states harboring illegal aliens. This, of course, is a direct shot at states who are failing to share immigration data with ICE agents. I love the argument people are using for this. They are all yelling “States rights”. All ICE is asking for these departments to do is to share immigration data with them and hold illegal aliens if they have committed a crime. Somehow the left thinks this is forcing local officals to do something they shouldn’t have to do.
It wasn’t all good though.
Nielsen, who visited prototypes of Trump’s proposed border wall in San Diego, said the president would request $1.6 billion next year for the barrier, in addition to $1.6 billion he is seeking this year to build or replace 74 miles (118 kilometers) in California and Texas.
“It’s all a down payment,†she said. “This is not going to get us the whole wall we need but it’s a start.â€
Trump has met stiff Democratic opposition to the wall, a central campaign pledge. Barriers currently cover 654 miles (1,046 kilometers), or about one-third of the border, much of it built during George W. Bush’s presidency
We don’t want partial funding for the Wall under DACA, we want full funding. The idea that we would get such a small amount is beyond ridiculous. The lowest number I have seen for the price of the border wall is $20 Billion Dollars. $1.6 Billion is not going to cut it.
