President Trump Tuesday praised Mexican authorities for stopping Central American immigrants after he threatened to close the southern border, but Trump said he may still close the border if Democrats won’t agree to legal reforms.
“We’re going to have a strong border or we’re going to have a closed border,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding a new demand after he threatened last week to close the border over immigrant caravans.
“Mexico has, as of yesterday, made a big difference,” Trump said, adding: “What we have to do is, Congress has to meet quickly and make a deal. I could do it in 45 minutes. We need to get rid of chain migration. We need to get rid of catch and release. And visa lottery. We have to do something about asylum. And to be honest with you, have to get rid of judges.”
[Related: Sarah Sanders: Democrats leaving Trump ‘no choice’ in Mexico border closure dispute]
Some of the reforms were previously sought by Trump in exchange for a pathway to citizenship for young illegal immigrants who have work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, which is pending Supreme Court review. Democrats in Congress rebuffed the earlier request for the legal restrictions.
“Mexico is now stopping people coming. Very easy for them to do, stopping people coming in through Mexico. Let’s see if they keep doing that. Now, if they don’t, or if we don’t make a deal with Congress, the border’s going to be closed, 100 percent,” Trump said.
Trump, who is visiting Southern California on Friday, added the demand for legislation while hosting the visiting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House.
He continued: “If we don’t make a deal with Congress or if Mexico and probably you could say and/or, if Mexico doesn’t do what they should be doing … Then we’re going to close the border and that will be it. Or we’re going to close large sections of the border.”
Trump abruptly threatened to close the Mexican border last week and in response to a reporter’s question said that could include a cessation of all trade.
Although there was significant Republican concern about a border closure, Trump unexpectedly careened in December into a 35-day partial government shutdown over requests for funding for a Mexico border wall.
