Border Build‑up: Trump’s Emergency Walk‑through
The big news is that Donald Trump’s top right‑hander, Stephen Miller, warned that by the 2020 election he could possibly erect “hundreds of miles” of fence along the Mexican border. The president invoked a “national emergency” to unlock military funding after Congress trimmed his $5.7 B request to a fraction of the total.
Why the rush?
Miller, in a Fox News interview, argued that an unpaved border is basically a free‑for‑all zone for drugs, crimes, and, according to him, “uncontrolled, unsecured areas” that let trouble slide straight in.
- He dismissed stats showing a drop in illegal entries by saying the problem still exists.
- When pressed for a precedent—another president using an emergency to force Congress to back off—he blinked and couldn’t name one.
The political chess match
While Trump vows to keep his promise that “this is an imminent challenge,” four voices returned to the line‑up:
- Xavier Becerra, California’s attorney general, announced the state would file an immediate lawsuit, arguing the barrier would drain funds earmarked for military essentials and disaster aid.
- Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois raised the idea that Congress might step in, but the vote to override a potential Trump veto could be a snore‑fest.
- Several Republican senators sneezed out criticism, seeing the emergency declaration as a dangerous precedent for executive overreach.
- Former Massachusetts governor William Weld tossed a joke about a 2020 primary and called Trump’s emergency effort a self‑made “hero” act that’s actually a stunt.
What’s Next?
With legal challenges almost certain and Congressional blockers possibly in play, how fast the 1,950‑mile border gets a brick‑by‑brick makeover remains the big unanswered question.
