Donald Trump uses prime time for Democrats hit over shutdown

Donald Trump has used his first Oval Office address to pressure Democrats over funding for his promised border wall.

Donald Trump has declared his proposed border wall with Mexico “absolutely critical” to stem a ­security and humanitarian crisis that he said was costing the lives of innocent Americans.

In an Oval Office address to the nation on border security, the US President portrayed the border in dark terms as a porous pathway for uncontrolled immigration, including criminals and drug runners.

“This is a humanitarian crisis. A crisis of the heart, and a crisis of the soul,” Mr Trump said as he urged congress to fund his proposed border wall and resolve the funding deadlock that has shut down parts of the US government.

“All Americans are hurt by uncontrolled illegal migration. This is a choice between right and wrong, justice or injustice.”

ANALYSIS: Overblown claims to fix crisis

He blamed the Democrats for the almost three-week shutdown because they have refused to fund the $US5.7 billion ($7.8bn) he has requested to start building his promised border wall.

The government “remains shut down for one reason and one reason only: because Democrats will not fund border security,” Mr Trump said.

He described the border wall as “common sense” and claimed it would quickly pay for itself by ­reducing the quantities of illegal drugs entering the country. “The wall will also be paid for, indirectly, by the new trade deal we have made with Mexico,” he said.

In reply, Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer said the President had chosen to stoke fear rather than address facts. “Most presidents have used Oval Office addresses for noble purposes. This President just used the backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear, and divert ­attention from the turmoil in his administration,” he said.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Mr Trump of using workers as hos­tages to win funding for the wall.

“The fact is, President Trump has chosen to hold hostage critical services for the health, safety and wellbeing of the American people and withhold the pay cheques of 800,000 innocent workers across the nation — many of them veterans,” she said. “He promised to keep government shut down for ‘months or years’, no matter whom it hurts. That’s just plain wrong.”

Mr Trump said the border had become a funnel for drug smugglers and criminals.

“Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, ­cocaine, and fentanyl,” he said. “In the last two years ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4000 violent killings.”

He also called it a humanitarian crisis, saying 20,000 children were illegally brought into the US last month and used as “human pawns”. “This is the tragic reality of illegal immigration on our southern border,” he said.

Mr Trump made his first televised address to try to break a deadlock with Democrats that has triggered a partial government shutdown, now in its 19th day and the second-longest on record. He has insisted Democrats agree to a funding package that includes $US5.7bn to begin construction of the wall, but they have refused, ­accusing him of holding the government hostage to his demands. Congressional leaders will meet Mr Trump early today to discuss the deadlock.

Mr Trump attacked Democrat’s claims that a border wall would be immoral, pointing out that Democrats had previously ­approved extensions of physical barriers along the US-Mexico border. “Some have suggested a barrier is immoral,” he said. “Then why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences and gates around their homes? They don’t build walls because they hate the people outside, but because they love the people on the inside.”

Although statistics show that undocumented immigrants have lower crime rates than native-born Americans, Mr Trump gave a series of examples of murders committed by illegal immigrants. “How much American blood must we shed before congress does its job,” he said.

Mr Trump said this week he would consider declaring a national emergency to obtain funds for the wall without requiring ­approval from congress, but he did not mention this during his ­address. Some senior Republicans and Democrats have warned him not to take such action, saying it would be a misuse of the national emergency powers and may be overruled in the courts.