Stephen Miller, a White House senior adviser who has pushed draconian and punitive measures against immigrants, said President Donald Trump will do "whatever is necessary" to get his wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, including shutting down the government.
Miller appeared on Face the Nation where he noted the president's resilience to get funding for the wall on Sunday. "If it comes to it, absolutely," Miller said when asked about Trump potentially causing a government shutdown. This is a very fundamental issue.
Trump recently requested $5 billion for wall funding, which was strongly opposed by Democrats who Miller said would be forced to choose "whether they want to fight for America's working class, or promote illegal immigration."
"At stake is the question of whether or not the United States remains a sovereign country," Miller, himself the descendent of recent immigrants, continued.
If the House and Senate reject spending bills or if Trump refuses to sign opposing proposals, the federal government will potentially shut down partially right ahead of the Christmas holiday on December 21.
During a White House meeting House and Senate Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, respectively, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government if his campaign promise of building a border wall failed to be fulfilled.
Miller also commented on the death of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl, Jackeline Caal, who died two days after she was taken into custody at the U.S. border with her father. Miller would not put the blame of the girl's death on any particular entity, but rather called the incident a "painful reminder of the ongoing humanitarian tragedy that is illegal immigration and the misery that it spreads."
Outrage was widespread throughout the country when the girl's death made headlines on Friday. She had gone days without food and water during her family's journey to the U.S. However, Department of Homeland Security said the girl didn't appear to be sick when she and her father were initially detained. In a statement, DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said the official Border Patrol form, which was completed following Caal's detainment and signed by her father Nery Caal, said she showed no signs of sickness.
Miller, and the Trump administration in general, have been keen to punish and degrade immigrants as a disincentive to others.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Michigan native, Janice Williams is a graduate of Oakland University where she studied journalism and communication. Upon relocating to New ... Read more
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