With less than a week to go until another potential partial federal government shutdown begins on Friday, bipartisan compromise talks on funding for President Trump’s proposed border wall have completely broken down, sources tell Fox News.
The sudden development again raised the possibility that Trump will declare a national emergency to access previously appropriated funds to initiate construction on a border wall. The White House agreed to a temporary spending bill late last month to end a historic 35-day government shutdown, although Trump said at the time that the move was not a “concession” and that he would not relent on his demands for a wall.
“Talks have broken down because Senate Republicans are refusing to compromise on limits to the Trump administration’s cruel immigration policies,” a senior Democratic aide told Fox News on Sunday. “A deal that includes new physical barriers must also include limits on the number of ICE detention beds. If Senate Republicans won’t compromise with us on both, we can’t reach a deal.”
Added a GOP source: “The wall is a red herring for the Democrats. We got stuck on an interior enforcement cap.” Such a cap would effectively limit ICE’s ability to house illegal immigrants caught domestically by reducing the number of available beds in detention centers. The goal, Democrats say, is to force the Trump administration to prioritize arresting and deporting only violent criminals and dangerous offenders.
Fox News is told if negotiators can’t resolve the situation soon, they are likely looking at trying to pass another temporary continuing resolution to try to avoid a shutdown. – READ MORE