President Trump has officially called of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that legalizes the status of young adult immigrants or Dreamers in the U.S. He said that immigrants are in the U.S. to take advantage of DACA.
Trump had initially said he was open to negotiations with Democrats who support DACA in exchange for funding the U.S.-Mexico border wall but it was a campaign trail promise. In 2016, he insisted that Mexico pay for the wall. Mexico rejected it. He had threatened to call off DACA earlier this month and that the funding should go to something else, like the border wall. Last month, he had also threatened to veto a spending bill which did not include DACA and ultimately, has signed it.
The U.S.-Mexico border wall work in Southern New Mexico is to begin Monday. A groundbreaking near the Santa Teresa port has been announced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the $73 million contract was awarded the Montana company, U.S., in February. The project has been sued by environmentalists who believe the federal government exceeded its authority in disregarding laws in a bid to speed up its construction.
Trump has signed, Wednesday, a presidential memorandum delegating Defense Secretary James Mattis to support the Department of Homeland Security in securing the Southern border due to a “surge of illegal activity”. And intends to send between 2000 to 4000 guardsmen to the border. Arizona and Texas also intend to send hundreds of National Guard troops to the border in a few days. The Texas Military Department has announced that it would also send 250 personnel, supporting aircraft, equipment, and vehicles to the border.
Trump also signed a directive Friday in order to end the “catch and release” policy at the border, so termed by Border Patrol agents and others in the immigration program for the arrest, processing and then release of immigrants in the U.S. He further ordered more asylum officers to move to detention centers so as to process cases faster in a bid to uphold the directive.
