Trump Vows Military Will Close Mexican Border to Stop Migrants

Oct 18 2018, 11:53 AMOct 18 2018, 12:01 PMOctober 18 2018, 11:53 AMOctober 18 2018, 12:01 PM

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he’ll mobilize the U.S. military to close the border with Mexico to stop an "assault" on the nation by a caravan of migrants from Central America.

Trump, who ran in 2016 promising to tighten U.S. immigration laws and stanch the inflow of undocumented migrants, has called for cutting off foreign aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador if they don’t stop the migrants. He claimed Thursday -- without providing evidence -- that Democrats are backing the human movement to bolster their case for "open borders and existing weak laws."

"In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught - and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!" Trump said on Twitter.

In other posts, Trump claimed -- without substantiation -- that many in the caravan are criminals.

....The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA. Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border. All Democrats fault for weak laws!
â Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2018

"I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S." he said.