Democrats and Republicans have reached an agreement in principle over border security to fund the US government and avert another partial shutdown.The agreement contains only a fraction of the money President Donald Trump wants for his promised border wall and does not mention a concrete barrier.The deal still needs to be approved by Congress and signed by the president.Speaking later, Mr Trump did not say whether he would back it. "We're building the wall anyway."The Democrats - who now control the House of Representatives - have refused to approve the $5.7bn (£4.4bn) for Mr Trump's wall on the border with Mexico, one of his key campaign pledges. What is a government shutdown? How the last US shutdown hurt Lawmakers expressed optimism that a bill would be approved by Friday when funding runs out for some federal agencies.The previous shutdown - the longest in US history - lasted 35 days and cost the country's economy an estimated $11bn (£8.5bn).What is known about the … [Read more...] about US border security deal reached to avert new shutdown
Us border security
Letters: We need to fund border security legislation now
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR We need to fund border security legislation now Border security has been viewed as a “temper tantrum" from President Donald Trump. I suggest the tantrum is coming from Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and others who attack the president on a daily basis. I have written before about our Iowa girl who was brutally murdered by an illegal alien. If E-verify were in effect, that individual would have been deported long before he committed that evil act. Open borders, sanctuary cities and chain migration are not winning me over. There is no question that crime is coming over our southern border. Our brave border patrol, ICE agents, FBI and others are doing a herculean job in corralling the evil at tremendous risk to themselves. Fund security for our borders, I don’t care whether it is a wall or a combination of fences or technology – just fund it. Democrats, you can come up with your own … [Read more...] about Letters: We need to fund border security legislation now
As California authorities search for suspected cop killer, illegally in US, Trump calls for ‘Border Security’
California authorities are searching for a man who killed a small-town police officer the day after Christmas, a manhunt that prompted a tweet on Thursday from President Donald Trump. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said Thursday they have identified the suspect who fatally shot Newman Police Department Cpl. Ronil Singh during a traffic stop, saying the man is living illegally in the United States but not naming him. "We will relentlessly continue to hunt our suspect down and bring him to justice so that ... we can bring closure onto this community and this police department," Christianson said. “This suspect is in our country illegally. He doesn’t belong here. He is a criminal." On Twitter, Trump connected the "full scale manhunt going on in California for an illegal immigrant accused of shooting and killing a police officer" to his call for a crackdown on border security as a partial government shutdown over funding … [Read more...] about As California authorities search for suspected cop killer, illegally in US, Trump calls for ‘Border Security’
Body of Jakelin Caal, who died in US Border Patrol custody, arrives in Guatemala
GUATEMALA CITY – The body of a 7-year-old girl who died while in custody of the U.S. Border Patrol arrived in her native Guatemala on Sunday and was to be driven hours into the countryside and handed over to family members for a last goodbye. A white coffin containing Jakelin Caal was received in the afternoon at Guatemala City’s international airport by representatives of the country’s Foreign Ministry and then loaded into the back of a black hearse by workers in orange vests. No family members were on hand. Domingo Caal, the girl’s grandfather, told The Associated Press that the family didn’t have money to travel from their poor hamlet to Guatemala’s capital. At Domingo Caal’s home in the village of San Antonio Secortez, in the department of Alta Verapaz, relatives set up a small wooden altar flanked by vases overflowing with flowers, with photographs of Jakelin and the hand-lettered message, “We miss you.” Behind the house, … [Read more...] about Body of Jakelin Caal, who died in US Border Patrol custody, arrives in Guatemala
They’re steps away from the US border. But crossing it legally could take weeks
(CNN)Large groups of migrants who trekked across Mexico and hope to seek asylum in the United States are starting to arrive in the border city of Tijuana. Their journey has lasted more than a month. It sparked ire from US President Donald Trump and spurred a decision to deploy thousands of active-duty troops to the border. And it's far from over. Mattis fills void left by Trump's silence on military's border mission Hundreds of Central American migrants from a so-called caravan of thousands are now within walking distance of the United States. But crossing the border legally could still take them weeks, if not longer, due to bottlenecks at ports of entry that US authorities say are already at capacity and unable to process them faster. Advocates warn that the lengthy wait poses serious risks for migrants who are seeking safety and pose no threat. Officials in Mexican border cities have worried about how they'll handle the influx. And some local residents are already bristling … [Read more...] about They’re steps away from the US border. But crossing it legally could take weeks