President Donald Trump has announced that he will sign a national emergency order to increase security at the U.S.-Mexico border. His administration is confronting the "crisis", he said from the Rose Garden at the White House Friday morning.
Trump said he is concerned with the amount of drugs coming into the U.S. from that location. He said Democrats are incorrect in believing drugs come more from ports of entry along waterways.
Trump also said murders are happening on the other side of the wall in El Paso, Texas, keeping those from happening in the United States. He said that attests to the strength and importance of having a border wall.
Asked about the precedent potentially set by declaring a national emergency, Trump says the courts will determine that.
"What will happen is, sadly, we'll be sued, and sadly, it'll go through a process, and happily we'll win, I think,” Trump said.
President @realDonaldTrump signs the Declaration for a National Emergency to address the national security and humanitarian crisis at the Southern Border. pic.twitter.com/0bUhudtwvS
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) February 15, 2019
In a joint statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the declaration “unlawful.”
"This is plainly a power grab by a disappointed President, who has gone outside the bounds of the law to try to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process,” the statement said.
He began his speech in the Rose Garden on Friday by talking about the importance of making tariff agreements with China. He said the relationship with China is very good and that it respects the U.S.
Trump also said the U.S. has a good trading relationship with the UK, and that it has strengthened and trade will be increased.
He also said today there will be announcements in the next 24 hours regarding terrorism and efforts made there.
