President Trump’s State of Emergency to Build a Wall is a Disgrace

ORLANDO, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Val Demings (FL-10) released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to declare a “state of emergency” on the southern border:

Said Rep. Demings, “Failing to keep a campaign promise is not a state of emergency. Losing a political debate is not a state of emergency, no matter how much the President might hate it.”

“When is this madness going to stop? When is the GOP leadership going to hold the President accountable? National security experts, military personnel, law enforcement officers, and others who risk their lives to preserve life and restore communities after real emergencies know better. The President’s declaration is a disgrace.

“The only crisis on the border is the one that President Trump has created by working to instill fear, imprisoning children and separating families, and failing to hire enough officers to properly staff ports of entry.

“The president couldn’t get Mexico to pay for his wall. He couldn’t get Congress to pick the pockets of the American people. The GOP, which could have passed wall funding at any time over the past two years, knew it was an unreasonable idea.

“President Trump’s total inability to govern in times of peace or crisis weakens and degrades our democracy and threatens the stability and security of our nation. The GOP leadership needs to stop this madness before the wounds inflicted by this administration cause irreparable damage to our democracy.”

Background

• President Trump didn’t declare an emergency. Nothing has changed.
• There is no crisis on the border.
• Trump’s shutdown hurt DHS, Coast Guard, and FBI officers.
• The administration has not spent existing border security funding.
• There are thousands of officer vacancies at U.S. Ports of Entry.
• The “caravans” are legally applying for asylum at ports of entry.
• More undocumented people are leaving the U.S. than entering it.
• No terrorists have travelled through Mexico to reach the U.S.
• Most drugs are smuggled into the U.S. through legal ports of entry.
• According to the conservative Cato Institute, “The Wall Won’t Work.”

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