WORKERS. AND JERRY CONLEY WEIGHS IN.
THEN ANOTHER JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT BORDER SECURITY.
WATCH "WASHINGTON JOURNAL" AT 7:00 A.M. ON WEDNESDAY MORNING.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION. ON DAY 18 OF THE GOVERNMENT
SHUT-DOWN PRESIDENT SPOKE TO THE NATION FROM THE OVAL OFFICE
ABOUT WHAT HE CALLS A HUMANITARIAN AND SECURITY
CRISIS ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER. THIS IS ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
MY FELLOW AMERICANS TONIGHT I AM SPEAKING TO YOU BECAUSE
THERE IS A GROWING HUMANITARIAN AND SECURITY CRISIS AT OUR
SOUTHERN BORDER. EVERY DAY, CUSTOMS AND BORDER
PATROL AGENT ENCOUNTER THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
TRYING TO TER OUR COUNTRY. WE ARE OUT OF SPACE TO HOLD
THEM, AND WE HAVE NO WAY TO PROMPTLY RETURN THEM BACK HOME
TO THEIR COUNTRY. AMERICA PROUDLY WELCOMES
MILLIONS OF LAWFUL IMMIGRANTS WHO ENRICH OUR SOCIETY AND
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR NATION. BUT ALL AMERICANS ARE HURT BY
UNCONTROLLED ILLEGAL MIGRATION. IT STRAINS PUBLIC RESOURCES AND
DRIVES DOWN JOBS AND WAGES. AMONG THOSE HARDEST HITTER
AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND HISPANIC AMERICANS.
OUR SOUTHERN BORDER IS A PIPELINE FOR VAST QUANLTS OF
ILLEGAL DRUGS, INCLUDING METH, HEROIN, COCAINE AND FENTANYL.
EVERY WEEK 300 OF OUR CITIZENS ARE KILLED BY HEROIN ALONE.
90% OF WHICH FLOODS ACROSS FROM OUR SOUTHERN BORDER.
MORE AMERICANS WILL DIE FROM DRUGS THIS YEAR THAN WERE
KILLED IN THE ENTIRE VIETNAM WAR.
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS ICE OFFICERS MADE 266,000 ARRESTS
OF ALIENS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS, INCLUDING THOSE
CHARGED OR CONVICTED OF 100,000 ASSAULTS, 30,000 SEX CRIMES AND
4,000 VIOLENT KILLINGS. OVER THE YEARS THOUSANDS OF
AMERICANS HAVE BEEN BRUTALLY KILLED BY THOSE WHO ILLEGALLY
ENTERED OUR COUNTRY, AND THOUSANDS MORE LIVES WILL BE
LOST IF WE DON'T ACT RIGHT NOW. THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS,
A CRISIS OF THE HEART, AND A CRISIS OF THE SOUL.
LAST MONTH 20,000 MY GRANT CHILDREN WERE ILLEGALLY BROUGHT
INTO THE UNITED STATES, A DRAMATIC INCREASE.
THESE CHILDREN ARE USED AS HUMAN PAWNS BY VICIOUS COYOTES
AND RUTHLESS GANGS. ONE IN THREE WOMEN ARE SEXUALLY
ASSAULTED ON THE DANGEROUS TREK UP THROUGH MEXICO.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE THE BIGGEST VICTIMS BY FAR OF OUR
BROKEN SYSTEM. THIS IS THE TRAGIC REALITY OF
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ON OUR SORENSTAM BORDER.
THIS IS THE CYCLE OF HUMAN SUFFERING THAT I AM DETERMINED
TO END. MY ADMINISTRATION HAS PRESENTED
CONGRESS WITH A DETAILED PROPOSAL TO SECURE THE BORDER
AND STOP THE CRIMINAL GANGS, DRUG SMUGGLERS AND HUMAN
TRAFFICKERS. IT'S A TREMENDOUS PROBLEM.
OUR PROPOSAL WAS DEVELOPED LIE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS
AND BORDER AGENTS AT THE DEPARMED OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
THESE ARE THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE REQUESTED TO PROPERLY
PERFORM THEIR MISSION AND KEEP AMERICA SAFE.
IN FACT, SAVER THAN EVER BEFORE .
THE PROPOSAL FROM HOIMENTS INCLUDES CUTTING -- FROM
HOMELAND SECURITY INCLUDES CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY FOR
DETECTING DRUGS, CONTRABAND AND MANY OTHER THINGS.
WE HAVE REQUESTED MORE AGENTS, IMMIGRATION JUDGES AND BED
SPACE TO PROCESS THE SHARP RISE OF UNLAFELL MIGRATION FUELED BY
OUR VERY STRONG ECONOMY. OUR PLAN ALSO CONTAINS AN
URGENT REQUEST FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND MEDICAL SUPPORT.
FURTHERMORE, WE HAVE ASKED CONGRESS TO CLOSE BORDER
SECURITY LOOPHOLES SO THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILDREN CAN
BE SAFELY AND ARE YOU MAINLY RETURNED BACK HOME -- AND HAD
YOU MAIN LE RETURNED BACK HOME. FINALLY, LAW ENFORCEMENT
PROFESSIONALS AFTER REQUESTED $5.7 BILLION FOR A PHYSICAL
BARRIER. AT THE REQUEST OF DEMOCRATS, IT
WILL BE A STEEL BARRIER RATHER THAN A CONCRETE WALL.
THIS BARRIER IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO BORDER SECURITY.
IT IS ALSO WHAT OUR PROFESSIONALS AT THE BORDER
WANT AND NEED. THIS IS JUST COMMON SENSE.
THE BORDER WALL WOULD VERY QUICKLY PAY FOR ITSELF.
THE COST OF ILLEGAL DRUGS EXCEEDS $500 BILLION A YEAR,
VASTLY MORE THAN THE $5.7 BILLION WE HAVE REQUESTED FROM
CONGRESS. THE WALL WILL ALWAYS BE PAID
FOR INDIRECTLY BY THE GREAT NEW TRADE DEAL WE HAVE MADE WITH
MEXICO. SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER, WHO YOU
WILL BE HEARING FROM LATER TONIGHT, HAS REPEATEDLY
SUPPORTED A PHYSICAL BARRIER IN THE PAST, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER
DEMOCRATS. THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND ONLY
AFTER I WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT. DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS HAVE
REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CRISIS, AND THEY HAVE REFUSED
TO PROVIDE OUR BRAVE BORDER AGENTS WITH THE TOOLS THEY
DESPERATELY NEED TO PROTECT OUR FAMILIES AND OUR NATION.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REMAINS SHUT DOWN FOR ONE REASON AND
ONE REASON ONLY. BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WILL NOT FUND
BORDER SECURITY. MY ADMINISTRATION IS DOING
EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED BY THE SITUATION
. BUT THE ONLY SOLUTION IS FOR
DEMOCRATS TO PASS A SPENDING BILL THAT DEFENDS OUR BORDER
AND REOPENS THE GOVERNMENT. THIS SITUATION COULD BE SOLVED
IN A 45-MINUTE MEETING. I HAVE INVITED CON
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP TO -- CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP TO THE
WHITE HOUSE TOMORROW TO GET THIS DONE.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN RISE ABOVE PARTISAN POLITICS IN ORDER TO
SUPPORT NATIONAL SECURITY. SOME HAVE SUGGESTED A BARRIER
IS IMMORAL. THEN WHY DO WEALTHY POLITICIANS
BUILD WALLS, FENCES AND GATES AROUND THEIR HOMES?
THEY DON'T BUILD WALLS BECAUSE THEY HATE THE PEOPLE ON THE
OUTSIDE, BUT BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE PEOPLE ON THE INSIDE.
THE ONLY THING THAT IS IMMORAL IS THE POLITICIANS TO DO
NOTHING AND CONTINUE TO ALLOW MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE TO BE SO
HORRIBLY VICTIMIZED. AMERICA'S HEART BROKE THE DAY
AFTER CHRISTMAS WHEN A YOUNG POLICE OFFICER IN CALIFORNIA
WAS SAVAGELY MURDERED IN COLD ALIEN WHO ILLEGAL
JUST CAME ACROSS THE BORDER. THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN HERO
WAS STOLEN BY SOMEONE WHO HAD NO RIGHT TO BE IN OUR COUNTRY.
DAY AFTER DAY, PRECIOUS LIVES ARE CUT SHORT BY THOSE WHO HAVE
VIOLATED OUR BORDERS. IN CALIFORNIA AN AIR FORCE
VETERAN WAS RAPED, MURDERED AND BEATEN TO DEATH WITH A HAMMER
BY AN ILLEGAL ALIEN WITH A LONG CRIMINAL HISTORY.
IN GEORGIA, AN ILLEGAL ALIEN WAS RECENTLY CHARGED WITH
BEHEADING KILLING, AND DISMEMBERING HIS NEIGHBOR.
IN MARYLAND, MS-13 GANG MEMBERS WHO ARRIVED IN THE UNITED
ATES AS UNACCOMPANIED MINORS WERE CHARGED AFTER VICIOUSLY
STABBING AND BEATING A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS I HAVE MET WITH DOZENS OF
FAMILIES WHOSE LOVED ONES WERE STOLEN BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
I HAVE HELD THE HANDS OF THE WEEPING MOTHERS AND EMBRACED
THE GRIEF STRICKEN FATHERS. SO SAD, SO TERRIBLE.
I WILL NEVER FORGET THE PAIN IN THEIR EYES, THE TREMBLE IN
THEIR VOICES AND THE SADNESS GRIPPING THEIR SOULS.
HOW MUCH MORE AMERICAN BLOOD MUST WE SHED BEFORE CONGRESS
DOES ITS JOB? TO THOSE WHO REFUSE TO
COMPROMISE IN THE NAME OF BORDER SECURITY, I WOULD ASK,
IMAGINE IF IT WAS YOUR CHILD, YOUR HUSBAND OR YOUR WIFE WHOSE
LIFE WAS SO CRUELLY SHATTERED . D TOTALLY BROKEN
EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS PASS THIS BILL TO END THIS CRISIS.
CITIZENS CALL THEM AND TELL THEM TO FINALLY AFTER ALL THESE
DECADES SECURE OUR BORDER. THIS IS A CHOICE BETWEEN RIGHT
AND WRONG, JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE.
THIS IS ABOUT WHETHER WE FULFILL OUR SACRED DUTY TO THE
AMERICAN CITIZENS WE SERVE. WHEN I TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE,
I SWORE TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY, AND THAT IS WHAT I WILL ALWAYS
DO, SO HELP ME, GOD. THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS NANCY
PELOSI AND CHUCK SCHUMER RESPONDED TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
FIRST NATIONAL ADDRESS. THEY CALLED ON THE PRESIDENT
AND CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS TO RE-OPEN THE GOVERNMENT AND
SAVE THE BORDER SECURITY DEBATE FOR LATER IN THE YEAR.
GOOD EVENING. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TONIGHT ABOUT HOW WE CAN
END THIS SHUT-DOWN AND MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
SADLY, MUCH OF WHAT WE HEARD FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP THROUGHOUT
THE SHUT-DOWN HAS BEEN FULL OF MISINFORMATION AND EVEN MALICE.