US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, on Friday, citing an “invasion” of drugs and traffickers
Following the anticipation since Thursday, US President Donald Trump, on Friday, declared a national emergency citing an “invasion” of human traffickers and drugs from the southern border. While Democrats slammed the move as an “unlawful” act, President Trump assured to confront the national security by building a border wall “one way or the other.”
While addressing the media from the White House Rose Garden, President Trump said, “We are going to confront the national security crisis on our southern border and we are going to do it one way or the other.” He further added, “I am going to sign a national emergency. We are talking about an invasion of our country, with drugs, with human traffickers, with all types of criminals and gangs.”
The declaration of national emergency will allow the US President to bypass Congress and direct the required fund to build a border wall. The southern border wall was one of key election promises from President Trump during his presidential campaign.
Criticising the decision, the House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer released a joint statement even before the President could leave the podium. The statement, posted on their official twitter handles, said, “The President’s unlawful declaration over a crisis that does not exist does great violence to our Constitution and makes America less safe, stealing from urgently needed defence funds for the security of our military and our nation.” In the statement, they further expressed their disapproval and said that this is plainly a “power grab by the disappointed President” to try to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process.
President Trump, while predicting that the move will be challenged in the court, said, “I expect to be sued.”
The While House, on Friday, also confirmed that President Trump has signed the Border Security Agreement negotiated by Congress to release $1.375 billion for the construction of barriers at the southern border. The agreement, which President Trump was “unhappy” with, was reached in an attempt to avoid another partial government shutdown. Previously in December, the much-criticised deadlock between Democrats and Republicans triggered the 35-day long US government shutdown, leaving more than 800,000 federal employees unpaid.
