Trump Will Visit the Border with Mexico

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is addressing the nation Tuesday about the "humanitarian and national security crisis" on the country's U.S.-Mexican border before traveling there Thursday for a firsthand look at efforts to thwart illegal immigration, reported VOA. 

Trump announced the prime-time nationally televised address Monday shortly after news secretary Sarah Sanders said the U.S. leader would "meet with those on the frontlines" of controlling access across the 3,200-kilometer border with Mexico. She said more details of the trip would be announced soon.

Trump's visit to the border would come in the midst of what is now a 17-day partial government shutdown centering on a dispute over his demand for more than billion in funding to build a barrier to block migrants, most of them from Central American countries, from crossing into the United States.

Opposition Democrats have blocked funding for the wall, but offered .3 billion in new spending for border security.

There was no end in sight Monday for the shutdown that has halted about a quarter of U.S. government operations since December 22nd.

Trump, however, now is saying he would agree to a steel barrier instead of a concrete wall he has long vowed to build.

Trump said again Monday that he could declare a national emergency to build the wall without approval from lawmakers, but added on Twitter, "Let's get our deal done in Congress!

Trump's tweet referenced Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, citing him as saying there is a provision in the law that allows the president to declare an emergency. Later on CNN, however, Smith said that declaring an emergency would be "horrible policy" and a "terrible idea," and...