The longest government shutdown in U.S. history enters its 31st day today with no clear end in sight after Democrats rejected president Donald Trump's fake plan to end the crisis with a limited immigration "compromise."
Political analysts said the president's proposal was really aimed at increasing pressure on Democrats to cave and wasn't a sincere effort to end the stand-off Trump caused when he suddenly rejected a bipartisan funding extension that would have avoided the shutdown.
Trump's "plan" would have offered protection for 300,000 so-called Dreamers, or the undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. when they were children, plus other groups of immigrants. In exchange, Democrats who control the House would have to approve $5.7 billion down payment to fund his border wall with Mexico. The wall will eventually cost more than $20 billion, according to some estimates.
Trump shut down the government to force the Democrat-controlled House to approve funding for a $5.7 billion border wall with Mexico.
Since he announced his run for the presidency in 2015, Trump has repeatedly said Mexico -- and not American taxpayers -- will pay for his border wall. This isn't the tune Trump is singing today, however.
Basically, Trump offered to extend temporary protection by three years for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, or the Dreamers. He also offered to extend the legal status of immigrants with Temporary Protected Status or TPS.
As a further sop to Democrats, Trump also offered to hire 2,750 Border Patrol agents and law-enforcement professionals; set aside $800 million for "urgent humanitarian assistance" and $805 million for drug-detection technology at ports of entry.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) branded Trump's deal "unacceptable" while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pointed out Trump was the one who endangered the Dreamers' standing in the first place by rescinding their protections. He blasted Trump's strategy as a form of "hostage-taking."
"Unfortunately, initial reports make clear that his proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people's lives," said Pelosi.
For his part, Schumer said offering some protections back in exchange for the wall is not a compromise but more hostage taking.
"There's only way out: open up the government, Mr. President, and then Democrats and Republicans can have a civil discussion and come up with bipartisan solutions."
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) also rejected the proposal, tweeting "More fake promises raising false hopes-this Trump con will fool few Americans. It is not serious or credible as a dreamer remedy. First & foremost: Reopen the government."
