Earlier today President Donald Trump visited a newly constructed replacement barrier at the U.S-Mexico border.  After meeting with border patrol officials the president stopped to answer questions from the media.

[Transcript] 2:02 P.M. PDT – THE PRESIDENT: So, behind us is the wall. That’s the new wall. We’ve done a lot of it, and we’re doing a lot more. You see it over here. This is, unfortunately, a protection that I guess you need, because you don’t know who’s on the other side of the border. I hope it works. This is just a concrete protector.
(more…)

President Trump is joins Border Patrol and Homeland Security officials for a roundtable on solving the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Anticipated Start time 3:15pm EDT.
UPDATE: Video Added

(more…)

President Trump delivered remarks today during a White House Opportunity and Revitalization economic group meeting. [Video and Transcript Below] What is the axiom that needs to be continually referenced when contemplating the forces aligned against President Donald Trump?  “There are trillions at stake“.
President Trump is single-handily navigating U.S. interests amid a landscape where the entire BIG CLUB is aligned against him.  All but a handful of DC politicians are owned by Wall Street’s BIG CLUB (Donohue and McConnell); multinationals & allied media. Meanwhile, to enhance their self-interests/plans, the ‘Occupy’ left-wing Democrats have abandoned all prior positions and joined a tactical alliance with Wall Street in the hopes of removing President Trump.  These are the forces against all ‘America First‘ policies.

.
[Transcript] -White House – […] PRESIDENT TRUMP: We’re losing, a few years ago, two hundred, routinely, to China. We can’t do that. We’re going to turn it around. It’s got to be a great deal. If it’s not a great deal, we’re not doing it.
(more…)

CTH is finding it difficult to dismiss the likelihood that both Democrat and Republican corporate club members are intentionally working to make the border crisis worse in an effort to fracture the base of support for President Trump… That purchased approach seems in line with Tom Donohue’s Big Club strategy.

Earlier today President Trump tweeted about the growing crisis at the U.S-Mexico border. Additionally this follows after he answered a press question yesterday about closing some of the border entry points:

Q Mr. President, if you close the border, would it be to all trade? Would you close the border to trade?
THE PRESIDENT: It could be to all trade. Mexico is making absolutely a fortune with the United States. They have a trade surplus of over $100 billion, which is far bigger than anybody understands. They’ve had it for many years. And either they’re going to stop — they have the strongest immigration laws anywhere in the world. And we have the weakest, the most pathetic laws. Number one, Congress has to act. And number two, Mexico — they make so much money from the United States and so many other things, so many other assets, they have to grab it and they have to stop it.

(more…)

President Trump tweeted earlier today that he plans to close at least a portion of the U.S-Mexico border next week in an effort to force Mexico to take action and stop the constant caravans of migrants.  Because the economic consequences to border closing will be so severe (cross-border trade) it is prudent to provide advanced notice so everyone can prepare:

Something has to change. Doing the same thing repeatedly and not changing the outcome is not a sustainable policy.  There is a major ongoing crisis at the border.

(Via NBC) […] Trump has threatened to close the border before. In December, amid the partial government shutdown, Trump threatened to close the border if Democrats didn’t agree to fund the construction of his border wall.

(more…)

Please Mr. President, please close the U.S-Mexico border.  It will be painful, but economic pressure is the only pressure likely to create change.  Force Mexico to take action.

EL PASO, TX — On Wednesday morning, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan hosted a press conference in El Paso, Texas to discuss the impact of the dramatic increase in illegal crossings that continue to occur along the Southwest border.

(Tweet Link)

“CBP is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our Southwest Border,” said McAleenan. “And nowhere has that crisis manifested more acutely than here in El Paso Sector. Here in El Paso, we have almost 3,500 migrants in custody this morning, in facilities designed for many fewer. We had over 1,000 apprehensions on Monday. The vast majority are families from Central America.”
(more…)

The Supreme Court reversed a prior 9th Circuit Court ruling restricting when illegal aliens could be detained and deported.
The SCOTUS ruling (full pdf below) was in favor the Trump administration, allowing federal officials to detain and deport illegal aliens after they have served their time in the U.S. for other crimes regardless of whether they were picked up immediately or later, after criminal release.
The 9th Circuit Court previously stated ICE would have to detain illegal aliens immediately after release or they would be exempt from later detainment.  SCOTUS eliminated that restriction and affirmed detainment and deportation at any time after criminal release.  The ruling was 5-4 with Justice Alito announcing the majority judgement of the court below:
(more…)

Earlier today President Donald Trump formally vetoed H.J. Res. 46, a joint resolution that would terminate national emergency declaration 9844.  U.S. Attorney General William Barr outlined the legal predicate for the executive branch authority to declare a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act.

ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR: Mr. President, your declaration of an emergency on the southern border was clearly authorized under the law and consistent with past precedent.
As you said, the National Emergencies Act directly authorizes the President, and gives broad discretionary authority to the President, to identify and respond to emergent circumstances that require a decisive response.
And the humanitarian and security crisis we have on the border right now is exactly the kind of emergency that Presidents are permitted to address under the National Emergencies Act.(link)

President Donald Trump notifies the Speaker of The House of Representatives:
(more…)

The joint House and Senate resolution to reject President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on the border has set up a showdown.  President Trump will veto the resolution. White House principal deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley says the resolution actually makes the nation less safe.

(more…)

(DOJ-NSD ) A federal grand jury sitting in Albuquerque, New Mexico returned a superseding indictment on March 13 charging Jany Leveille, 36, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, 40, Hujrah Wahhaj, 38, Subhanah Wahhaj, 36, and Lucas Morton, 41, with federal offenses related to terrorism, kidnapping and firearms violations.

All of the defendants are currently in custody awaiting trial.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the National Security Division, U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson for the District of New Mexico, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Special Agent in Charge James Langenberg of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office.

These defendants were previously charged by indictment on Sept. 11, 2018, with a conspiracy relating to the possession of firearms and ammunition by an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.  The original indictment also charged Leveille with possessing firearms and ammunition as an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.
The superseding indictment charges all of the defendants with participating in a conspiracy from October 2017 to August 2018 to provide material support and resources, including currency, training, weapons, and personnel, knowing and intending that they were to be used in preparation for and in carrying out attacks to kill officers and employees of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339A.
(more…)