House Democrats this week will send a letter to President Trump outlining their border security demands, in a move one top Democrat described as “a starting point,” in talks to end a weekslong partial government shutdown.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said Democrats will call for major border security additions, such as technology and personnel. But the proposal will exclude any money for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, or new structures there.
“It will state the Democratic position fairly succinctly and it will be a point to start from,” Thompson said.
Democrats have insisted Trump sign spending legislation to reopen the government prior to any negotiations on border security. It’s not clear whether that will be part of the terms Democrats send to the president.
Thompson said the letter would likely come from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and reflects a general consensus inside the Democratic Caucus, though it does not have backing of every single Democratic lawmaker.
Thompson said Democrats would not reject repairing or rebuilding existing fencing, but said there is already money in the 2018 spending bill that can be used for that purpose.
“In terms of where we are, we are not looking for any new concrete barriers,” Thompson said.
Democrats will call for additional spending to expand security at the nation’s ports of entry, through which the majority of illegal drugs are smuggled. They’ll also call for spending on technology that can be used to detect illegal immigration along the border and will agree to add new border patrol agents to help stem illegal crossings.
But they will not open the door to wall funding, Thompson insisted.
“We are willing to talk about it but at this point there is confidence in the majority that technology is the way to go,” Thompson said.
Trump on Saturday outlined a compromise plan the Senate will vote on Thursday. It would trade $5.7 billion in wall funding for a three-year extension of legal protection for “Dreamers” and others living here with Temporary Protected Status.
The House Democrats’ proposal excludes any provisions dealing with the Dreamers or other immigration issues.
