Donald Trump plans to request an additional $ 8.6 billion from the US Congress to erect a wall on the country's southern border. This was announced by the representative of the presidential administration. This amount is included in the draft federal budget for 2020.

Earlier, Trump said that the US Border Guard is delaying a record number of illegal immigrants trying to enter the United States, while reiterating the need to build a wall.

“We’re holding a record number of illegal immigrants, but we still need a wall to help our great border patrol staff!” Trump wrote on his Twitter page.

We have been able to help our great Border Patrol Agents!

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 8, 2019

Recall that in the United States for about a year there has been a fierce dispute between the head of the White House and his opponents because of the project to build a large-scale fence on the border with Mexico.

Democrats oppose the construction of the facility, most Republicans support the initiative of the American leader. Trump believes such construction is necessary to insulate the United States from the tide of illegal migration.

  • Caravan of migrants from Central America on the border with the USA in the state of California
  • Reuters
  • © Carlos Garcia Rawlins

Initially, the White House administration expected to receive about $ 5.7 billion from the federal budget to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. However, Congress did not approve such expenses, and eventually approved only $ 1.37 billion.

According to the Director of the Franklin Roosevelt Foundation for the Study of the United States at Moscow State University, Yuri Rogulyov, the next increase in "stakes" is due to Trump's desire to "take over the Democrats." What is important is not what amount Trump is requesting, but the fact that the US President is persevering and wants his demand for the construction of the wall to be included in the budget, the expert believes.

“Trump wants to continue the fight with the Democrats. After all, if he refuses it, it means that he lost, and this does not suit the head of the White House at all. All these amounts are conditional and depend on the scale of the construction of the object and the degree of its equipment: what equipment is planned to be installed there, what materials will be erected from. The cost of the wall can easily rise to $ 10 billion and above, ”Rogulev said.

Pavel Podlesny, head of the Center for Russian-American Relations at the Institute of American and Canadian Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that with his new request the head of the White House could put pressure on congressmen.

“Trump is counting on luck, believes that the attempt is not torture. The US President is pressing on Congress, but what else can he do? There is a formal reason - the budget for 2020, it is from him that the president wants to get the amount he needs, ”the expert said.

New Shatdaun

Disagreements between Trump and Congress over the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico led to a shutdown — the suspension of the work of the American government. The President of the United States announced this on December 22, 2018. Shatdaun lasted 35 days, and became the longest in US history.

  • US Congress Meeting
  • Reuters
  • © Jim Young

The American leader proposed to Congress a compromise way out of the protracted crisis. The White House would make a number of concessions in the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, which protects underage migrant children from deportations, in exchange for providing money to build barriers on the southern US border. However, the Democrats in the House of Representatives did not agree to such conditions.

Later, the parties still agreed on a temporary suspension of the shutter. However, according to Trump, if the administration of the White House and Congress do not resolve the issue of financing the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico, the work of the American government may again be suspended. According to Rogulyov, it is possible that due to the new financial ambitions of Trump, the shatdaun may repeat.

"Judging by how the situation is developing, and based on the fact that the House of Representatives intends to launch a new investigation (about the alleged" collusion "of Russia and Donald Trump's campaign headquarters on the eve of the 2016 elections. - RT ), the likelihood of resuming the Shatdaun how Democrats are unlikely to agree to Trump’s new proposal, ”the expert notes.

"Less to let migrants into the country"

Trump's project to build a large-scale fence between the United States and Mexico caused heated discussions.

The situation worsened even more when, on February 15, Donald Trump, after an unsuccessful attempt to secure financing for a project worth 5.7 billion, introduced a state of emergency in the country. Such a measure allowed the American leader to obtain part of the funds for the construction of the border wall, bypassing the decision of the Congress.

“The decree is signed. I will sign the final documents as soon as I get to the Oval Office. And a state of emergency will be introduced in our country, ”the US president said during his speech in South Florida.

Even then, the American leader foresaw the possible costs of his decision in the form of lawsuits, however, in spite of everything, he declared the state of emergency.

"We will be sued, a lawsuit will be filed with the Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit, although it shouldn’t be like that," Trump said.

In response to the actions of the American leader, representatives of the Democratic Party, members of the US House of Representatives, introduced a bill to abolish the state of emergency in the country. In addition, 16 US states have filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, hoping to stop funding the construction of the wall.

  • Border fences in southern California
  • Reuters
  • © Jorge Duenes

"The President of the United States, under the pretext of the crisis of illegal immigration, declared the state of emergency in the country to redirect federal funds allocated to curb illegal drug trafficking, military construction and law-enforcement initiatives, to build a wall," RIA Novosti quotes.

The day after this post, Donald Trump replied to his opponents by posting on his Twitter page.

“As I expected, 16 states, most of which are under the control of Democrats - supporters of the idea of ​​open borders and left radicals, - sent a lawsuit, of course, in the ninth district! (California District Court is in this district. - RT ), ”he said.

Rogulev believes that the reaction of the American public and the political establishment to Trump's new request for additional funding for the construction of the wall is unlikely to change.

“This is a pre-election struggle and the construction of the wall is one of its key issues. Trump hopes for the support of his supporters, and the Democrats, in turn, for the fact that they will manage to prevent the US President and to achieve his defeat. The reaction of the representatives of the Democratic Party will be predictably negative, ”the expert said.

According to Podlesny, the majority of ordinary citizens of the United States support the construction of obstacles on the border with Mexico, and therefore the new initiative of the American president will not cause them a negative response.

“Less letting migrants into the country is a popular idea among ordinary Americans. The only obstacle for Trump - representatives of the Democratic Party ", - said Podlesny.

Election trump card

Donald Trump, at the beginning of his presidential campaign in 2015, made a promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico. The issue of combating illegal immigration has become the political trump card not only of his election race, but also of the presidency.

At the end of 2018, Trump sent military units to the southern border of the country. Then he declared that he would give the soldiers the right to use weapons during possible clashes with refugees.

Trump's new requirements for financing the wall are associated with the election campaign that has already begun in the United States, experts say.

According to Rogulyov, the construction of barriers on the border with Mexico is, above all, a political issue for Trump.

“In fact, an election campaign is already unfolding in the USA. The construction of the fence on the southern border of the country is a promise of Trump to voters and one of the main points of his election campaign, which has not yet been fulfilled. Until 2020, Trump will try to implement this project, otherwise he will have to admit defeat in the fight against the Democrats, ”Rogulev said.

Pavel Podlesny shares this opinion. He believes that if the American leader succeeds in lobbying for the construction of the barriers and avoiding political mistakes, he will be able to regain the presidency.

“If Trump doesn’t do something stupid, he has a chance to get a second term, and the Democrats let the younger generation grow,” the expert concluded.