To address his declared state of emergency on the Mexican border, US President Donald Trump has demanded billions from the US Congress. According to the White House, it is about 4.5 billion US dollars (4 billion euros).
The largest share should be used to expand the capacity of the beds for unaccompanied migrant children crossing the border - and not for the construction of a border wall, as a government representative stressed. Trump had repeatedly threatened to close the border with Mexico. Congress had denied the funds it required.
Trump had then proclaimed a National Emergency at the border to serve without the consent of the Congress from other pots. This had also met with criticism from Republicans in Congress.
According to the White House, there is an "overwhelming increase" of migrants. Border police in the past half year have taken up more than 455,000 people in illegal border crossings - around 245,000 more than in the previous year. By the end of the year, the number could rise to one million, many of whom are unaccompanied children and adolescents. "The situation is getting worse every day," said the government representative.
With his demands Trump also responded to the increasing pressure of the Democrats: They demanded after the death of two unaccompanied children in December better care and preventive care in border facilities. On Tuesday, a 16-year-old Guatemalan migrant who was in US custody died in a Texas hospital. US officials warned of further accidents due to the rapid spread of serious diseases.