Trump again threatens Mexico border closure, seeks Congress action

President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened again to close the U.S. border with Mexico, this time calling on Congress to take steps immediately to deal with immigration and security loopholes.

According to Trump, the immigration and security loopholes are creating a national emergency.

“Congress must get together and immediately eliminate the loopholes at the Border!

“If no action, Border, or large sections of Border, will close. This is a National Emergency,” Trump wrote in a Twitter post.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to close the border to stem what he calls a tide of illegal immigration.

On Friday, he said he would close the border this week unless Mexico took steps to stop illegal migration.

The threat drew an outcry from business leaders and others, who said the move could disrupt legal crossings and billions of dollars in trade.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest U.S. business lobbying group, said it contacted the White House to discuss the negative impact of a border closure.

Trump took a step back on Tuesday, saying action by Mexico in recent days had eased pressure on U.S. ports of entry.

However, he revived the closure warning in a bid to pressure Congress to act.

White House adviser Mercedes Schlapp also said that progress is being made with Mexico on immigration issues however she declined to comment on whether the border would be closed this week.

`Our resources are being stretched thin. The system is overwhelmed.

“We are seeing our border patrol commissioner make it very clear that we are at a breaking point,” she told newsmen at the White House.

Trump has made fighting illegal immigration from Mexico a key part of his agenda, however shutting down one of the world’s most used borders, might be a step too far even for many of his fellow Republicans.

On Tuesday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said that closing the border could have devastating economic consequences, and joined his Democratic colleagues in warning Trump against such a move.

“The White House is looking closely at ways to lessen the economic impact of a border shutdown,’’ Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow said.