Trump Will Shut Down Government over Border Wall Funding

President Donald Trump threatened to shut down the federal government in September if Democratic lawmakers continue their obstruction and “do not give us the votes for Border Security [and] … the Wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I would be willing to ‘shut down’ government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!” Trump tweeted Sunday.

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But the nominally Republican Congress has struggled to reach any consensus on funding the border wall and implementing other key items on Trump’s immigration agenda.

Although Trump demanded action on immigration as part of Congress’ $1.3 trillion spending package, passed in March, he signed the bill without those measures to avoid a government shutdown. He warned at the time that he would never sign “another bill like this” again.

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With the federal fiscal year ending September 30, the president warned that he would accept nothing less than wall funding and the other three tough immigration reforms he has repeatedly asked Congress to enact.

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The president’s renewed call for border wall funding, immigration reform, and strict enforcement measures came as Democrats appeared to be looking for a different campaign centerpiece from their recent calls to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.