The Latest: Trump warns of ‘actual emergency’ at border
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and the border (all times local):
3:50 p.m.
President Donald Trump says his administration is ensuring the country knows “this is an actual emergency” at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump traveled Friday to Southern California to meet with local law enforcement officials and tour a section of recently rebuilt fencing he cites as the answer to a surge of migrant families coming to the U.S. in recent months.
Trump says the administration is making progress in building a border wall and says he expects “close to 400 miles” to be completed within the next two years.
The fence that Trump is touring in Calexico is a two-mile section that was a long-planned replacement for an older barrier, rather than new wall.
Trump says of the border wall, “We’ve done a lot, we’ve renovated a lot.”
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3:20 p.m.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has denounced President Donald Trump’s comments about getting rid of the asylum system. The governor issued the strong criticism in a statement Friday as the president arrived in California to visit the U.S.-Mexico border.
Newsom says that since its founding, the United States has been a refuge and safe haven for people fleeing tyranny, oppression and violence.
The governor says the president’s rhetoric disregards the Constitution, the justice system “and what it means to be an American.”
In comments at the White House as he left for California, Trump urged Congress “to get rid of the whole asylum system because it doesn’t work.” Trump’s administration has been pushing Congress to pass legislation that would tighten asylum rules.
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2:46 p.m.
President Donald Trump is in California to meet with local law enforcement officials at a border patrol station and to tour a section of recently rebuilt fencing he cites as the answer to stop migrant families coming to the U.S.
The fence that Trump is touring in Calexico is a two-mile section that was a long-planned replacement for an older barrier, rather than new wall.
The White House says the barrier is marked with a plaque bearing Trump’s name and those of top homeland security officials.
The visit comes after Trump sparked confusion with a threat to seal the southern border.
Trump said Thursday he wouldn’t act for a year, and issued a fresh threat to place tariffs on autos manufactured in Mexico.
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8:52 a.m.
President Donald Trump is ramping up his attacks on Democrats as he looks to make border security an issue for the 2020 re-election campaign.
Trump’s campaign released a new video attacking 2020 Democrats for dismissing what Trump calls a “crisis” at the border.
Trump travels Friday to Southern California to meet with local law enforcement officials and to tour a section of recently rebuilt fencing he cites as the answer to stop a surge of migrant families coming to the U.S. in recent months.
The fence that Trump is touring is a two-mile section that was a long-planned replacement for an older barrier, rather than new wall. The White House says the barrier is marked with a plaque bearing Trump’s name and those of top homeland security officials.
