In response to a resolution designed to thwart his most noteworthy campaign promise, President Trump cast his promised first veto. A Republican-majority Congress dawdled on the issue for two years, allowing it to slip into the grasp of a now Democratic majority which opposes common sense. When the  president declared a national emergency over the southern border crisis, Democrats became triggered. Right on cue, doomsday warnings, phobic rants and legal threats were filed. House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, pontificated, “This is plainly a power grab by a disappointed president who has gone outside the bounds of the law.” This taunt is laughable to the point of being absurd.

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 already authorized building the wall, calling for no fewer than 700 miles of fencing. In 2013, Democrats voted to fund 350 miles of border wall. The issue is not one of power but of funding. Pelosi warns this will create an ominous precedent. This, too, is a canard. The only powers this would trigger are those Congress previously built into federal law.

Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act Sept. 14, 1976, just prior to the election of Jimmy Carter. Since then, presidents have declared 58 states of emergency. Under this act, President Trump possesses complete authority to declare an emergency regarding the border crisis. For numerous reasons, including criminal infiltration and human trafficking, this declaration is consistent with many of the 31 currently recognized under federal law.

The illegal crossings into America and the resulting crisis is not manufactured, but real. This past February documented the largest number of illegals arrested in 12 years. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol recently testified at a Senate Judiciary Hearing that there’s an unsustainable crisis at the border. Their testimony verified the effectiveness of physical barriers. Acting CBP Deputy Commissioner Ron Vitiello emphasizes, “Border walls have proven to be an extremely effective part of our multi-pronged security strategy to prevent the illegal migration of people and drugs…”.

In 2008, the official Democratic Party platform stated, “We need to secure our borders… .” At a campaign stop in November 2015, Hillary Clinton told a crowd, “I voted numerous times when I was senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in.” Now, in 2019, Nancy Pelosi stated that building a wall is “immoral.” Democrat Ilhan Omar calls the wall “racist and cynical.” What has changed? One thing: Donald Trump is president.   

Democrats aren’t serious about real solutions. The left harbors so much contempt for this country that they don’t believe we have a right to defend our borders. Along with the mainstream media, they torture our language to punish those who believe in the rule of law. There’s nothing immoral, rascist or cynical in protecting legal American citizens living in this great country. This is not “Trump’s wall” — this is “America’s wall.” Should the security of American citizens continue to be jeopardized by Democratic “open borders” mentality, voters will know who exactly to blame.

Kent Larson

Stewartville