White House studying options to shut down southern border

The White House on Tuesday said it has begun studying options to close down different parts of the U.S. southern border, but expressed hope the drastic move could be avoided.

“Eventually, it may be that it’s the best decision that we close the border,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters, while adding that “this isn’t our first choice.”

Sanders said President Trump “is not working on a specific timeline” to decide whether to close down the border with Mexico. Trump last Friday put a deadline on his longstanding threat to shutter the border, saying he would make the move “next week” if Mexico does not stop illegal crossings into the U.S.

But she said the White House Council of Economic Advisers has begun studying the impacts of shuttering certain entry points in anticipation of briefing Trump on his options.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/436924-white-house-studying-options-to-shut-down-southern-border