News Analysis |
U.S President Donald Trump has finally declared a National Emergency after both he and Congress could not come to terms with the demand of $7 billion, the total cost of building the wall along the Mexican border. A lengthy speech of his was aired from the White House which incorporated trade, China, and most importantly the significance of a wall to stop the influx of drugs and illegal immigrants into the U.S mainland.
White House spokesperson Sara Sanders released a picture, with the caption: “President Trump signs the Declaration for a National Emergency to address the national security and humanitarian crisis at the Southern Border.”
The terrain of the long border makes it very difficult for the construction of a wall at some pints. Apart from that simply building a wall is obviously not going to stop illegal immigrants, smugglers, and human traffickers from simply cross it over.
During his speech, President Trump while laying emphasis on the need of a wall along the Mexican border said, “I am going to be signing a national emergency. We’re talking about an invasion of our country with drugs, with human traffickers.
Congress has authorized $1.38 for building the wall but they are well short of total estimated expenditure. The emergency would allow President Trump to get his hands on funds allocated for other purposes by Congress, a move which Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell says he would support.
Resistance to the Wall
Democrats, who hold a majority in the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi have strongly opposed the proposition terming it extravagant and obsolete in terms of objectives. The Senate has already voted 83-16 to advance the spending package in anticipation of final passage by the House of Representatives, which is highly unlikely. Democrats are determined to fight the emergency which they deem as an abuse of authority both in Congress as well as in the court.
Read more: Trump pushes US-Mexico wall plan, Congress nears deal
Other than Democrats, the largest civil rights association of the United States, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also threatened to knock the door of American judiciary to rule against the declared emergency. “President Trump’s hankering for a wall at the southern border cannot be justified by calling a national emergency.
This would be a clear abuse of presidential power — one that sidesteps the role of Congress in the appropriation of funds,” ACLU said in a statement issued after the Trump speech. “Shame on any member of Congress who doesn’t clearly and vigorously speak out on this illegitimate invocation of emergency authorities,” statement read. They have also declared filing case against President Trump.
BREAKING: We’re suing President Trump over today’s blatantly illegal declaration of a national emergency.
There is no emergency. This is an unconstitutional power grab that hurts American communities. We’ll see him in court.
— ACLU (@ACLU) February 15, 2019
The Absurdity Behind the Idea
Mexico and the United States of America share a border which is more than 3 million miles in length. A wall of such magnitude is going to be a feat on its own if the project comes to life. But still, the experts are not sure how efficient would it be to prevent the to and fro movement of drugs, illegal money, and immigrants.
Now that the re-election is around the corner, he is pushing harder to please the blue-collar Americans, the ones who voted him into the White House in the first place, who fear that immigrants are taking their jobs.
The terrain of the long border makes it very difficult for the construction of a wall at some pints. Apart from that simply building a wall is obviously not going to stop illegal immigrants, smugglers, and human traffickers from simply cross it over.
There must be a secondary border monitoring and patrol mechanism along the wall but since it is not humanly possible, even for the United States to have the entire border under watch all the time, the breaches are still bound to happen. Other than this, $7 billion is also not the exact cost of building the wall as the total expense might increase multiple folds as the experts suggest.
Read more: Trump says build US-Mexico wall or he’ll seal border
Donald Trump promised during his election campaign that he was going to build a wall and the Mexicans would pay for it. More than 3 years into office, he has failed to convince his own fellow Americans in the Congress let alone coercing Mexico to pay for it. Now that the re-election is around the corner, he is pushing harder to please the blue-collar Americans, the ones who voted him into the White House in the first place, who fear that immigrants are taking their jobs.