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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump cites as a negotiating tool his policy of separating immigrant children from their parents
A Mission Police Department officer, left, and a U.S. Border Patrol agent watch over Central American asylum seekers before taking them into custody on June 12 near McAllen, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)
By Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey
June 15 at 7:31 PM
President Trump has calculated that he will gain political leverage in congressional negotiations by continuing to enforce a policy he claims to hate separating immigrant parents from their young children at the southern border, according to White House officials.
On Friday, Trump suggested he would not change the policy unless Democrats agreed to his other immigration demands, which include funding a border wall, tightening the rules for border enforcement and curbing legal entry. He also is intent on pushing members of his party to vote for a compromise measure that would achieve those long-standing priorities.
Trumps public acknowledgment that he was willing to let the policy continue as he pursued his political goals came as the president once again blamed Democrats for a policy enacted and touted by his own administration. The Democrats are forcing the breakup of families at the Border with their horrible and cruel legislative agenda, he tweeted. After listing his demands in any immigration bill, he added, Go for it! WIN!
The attempt to gain advantage from a practice the American Academy of Pediatrics describes as causing children irreparable harm sets up a high-stakes gambit for Trump, whose political career has long benefited from harsh rhetoric on immigration.
Democrats have latched onto the issue and vowed to fight in the court of public opinion, with leaders planning trips to the border to highlight the stories of separated families, already the focus of news media attention. Democratic candidates running for vulnerable Republican seats also have begun to make the harsh treatment of children a centerpiece of their campaigns.
The policy has cracked Trumps usually united conservative base, with a wide array of religious leaders and groups denouncing it. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Southern Baptist Convention issued statements critical of the practice.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-cites-as-a-negotiating-tool-his-policy-of-separating-immigrant-children-from-their-parents/2018/06/15/ade82b80-70b3-11e8-bf86-a2351b5ece99_story.html
kentuck
(111,104 posts)to admit that he would use these children as props in a political game of negotiation.
Eyeball_Kid
(7,432 posts)and will also blame Democrats, the truth be damned. It fits in beautifully with Putins Deza plans: confuse and obfuscate.
LakeVermilion
(1,042 posts)As much as I want to relieve the crisis at our southern border, we cannot give in. The Republicans can fix this in 15 minutes. If Democrats give in to Trump/Republicans, they will do it again.
Time to make a case against the Republicans. Why would they use immigrant children and families to get the political solution that they want. Can they not negotiate immigration and border security without hostages?
Jake Stern
(3,145 posts)If one pays off an extortionist it just emboldens the extortionist to demand more.
applegrove
(118,696 posts)Last edited Sat Jun 16, 2018, 09:37 PM - Edit history (1)
advantage in immigration negotiations. The first time was undoing Obama's dreamer policy. Reminds me of a gift shop I worked in once. A woman was caught stealing a t shirt that she would then get a refund for. Trump is treating childhood trauma like a drifter treats goods. Trump is much worse.