Donald Trump has reportedly threatened to close down the US government in a new drive to secure a wall along the border with Mexico to keep out immigrants.
Attacking Democrats for refusing to back his promise of a wall, the US president said: “They don’t want the wall but we’re going to get the wall, even if we have to think about closing up the country for a while.
“We’re going to get the wall. We have no choice.”
According to ABC News, which originally reported the story, he added: “We have absolutely no choice. And we’re going to get tremendous security in our country.”
The president did not specify what he meant by “closing up the country”, but last month he told supporters that unless Congress met his funding demands on border security, there could be a government shutdown in the autumn.
Current government funding is due to run out in September.
The plan to build a wall with Mexico was one of the most prominent pledges in the president’s election campaign.
More than 200 central-American migrants travelled through Mexico as part of a “caravan” last month, intending to seek asylum in the US.
Although Mr Trump had warned that they “had better be stopped” before reaching the US border, 228 people were eventually allowed to enter the US and apply for asylum late last week.
“We may have to close up our country to get this straight, because we either have a country or we don’t,” Mr Trump said yesterday. “And you can’t allow people to pour into our country the way they’re doing.”
Illegal migrants were exploiting a “catch and release” policy, he said. Under the policy, migrants are freed while awaiting a court hearing.
On Twitter he described the border as “under siege”, adding: “Congress must act now to change our weak and ineffective immigration laws. Must build a Wall. Mexico, which has a massive crime problem, is doing little to help!”
The president also said America would have to revise its trade partnership with China. “It can’t go on that way,” he said.
