President Donald J. Trump’s Plan to Reopen the Government and Fund Border Security

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Category: News

Washington, DC - "To every member of Congress: Pass a bill that ends this crisis. To every citizen: Call Congress and tell them to finally, after all of these decades, secure our border. This is a choice between right and wrong, justice and injustice. This is about whether we fulfill our sacred duty to the American citizens we serve." ~ Donald J. Trump, President of the United States

PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP: President Donald J. Trump is showing strong leadership by working with Congress to find a solution to reopen our government and secure the border.

  • The President is solving the decades old problem of border security.
  • The negotiation team tasked by President Trump has been working with Republicans and Democrats to find a compromise to reopen the government while providing border security.
  • The President is bringing together the best ideas from both sides to come up with solution to a complex problem.

RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT FUNDING: The bipartisan and common sense legislation proposed by President Trump will reopen our government and secure the border.

  • $5.7 billion to fund a steel barrier system, including embedded investments in technology and roads, on our southern border in the priority areas cited by Border Patrol.
    • This is in addition to the more than 115 miles of barriers already built, replaced, or contracted under President Trump.
  • $805 million for technology, canines, and personnel to help stop the flow of illegal drugs, weapons and other contraband. This includes:
    • $675 million for drug detection inspection technology to help secure our ports of entry.
    • $130 million for canine units, training, personnel and portable scanners to help deter and detect smuggled narcotics, weapons, and other dangerous materials.
  • $800 million dollars in humanitarian assistance, medical support, and new temporary housing.
  • $782 million to hire an additional 2,750 border agents, law enforcement officers, and staff.
  • $563 million to support our immigration court system, including hiring 75 new immigration judge teams to reduce the immigration court backlog of 800,000 cases.

BIPARTISAN SOLUTION: As part of President Trump’s willingness to compromise to reopen the government, he is proposing to grant provisional status to current DACA and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients.

  • Provisional status will be granted for three years for current DACA recipients, covering 700,000 illegal immigrants brought here by their parents at a young age.
    • This status will give them access to work permits, social security numbers, and protection from deportation.
  • Provisional status will be granted to certain current TPS recipients for three years, providing 300,000 immigrants whose protected status is facing expiration more certainty as Congress works on a larger immigration deal.

IMMEDIATE CRISIS: President Trump’s proposal would solve the immediate security and humanitarian crisis at our southern border, but would not solve all of our immigration challenges.

  • America faces an immediate humanitarian crisis from our unsecured border.
    • According to a 2017 Doctors Without Borders Report, more than 30 percent of women are sexually assaulted on the trek to the border.
    • On average, the United States Border Patrol refers approximately 50 individuals to a hospital or medical provider, including children who cross the border in need of medical attention.
    • The number of families and unaccompanied children crossing the border illegally has grown dramatically in recent months. This past December, Border Patrol apprehended 32,284 families and unaccompanied children. Just six months prior, Border Patrol apprehended only 13,164 families and unaccompanied children.
  • The country still faces serious immigration issues that need a permanent solution, including interior enforcement, asylum reform, worksite verification, the 11 million people living in the country unlawfully, and moving toward a merit-based immigration system.
    • Once the government is open and the immediate crisis is addressed, President Trump will hold weekly bipartisan meetings to reform our immigration system.