On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said that he is “not happy” with the border deal struck in Congress to prevent another partial government shutdown at the end of this week. However, according to CNN, sources who have spoken with the President said that he intends to sign the deal anyway.
Though the final text of the agreement has not yet been posted, here is what is expected to be included:
Border Barrier Funding
The agreement includes $1.375 billion for 55 miles of new barrier, some of which will be built in the Rio Grande Valley. This is double the amount from the last spending agreement, but 10 miles less than the bipartisan bill rejected by Trump in 2018. It is also far short of the $5.7 billion requested by Trump.
The deal also prohibits the use of concrete walls. It’s likely that the barrier will instead be bollard fencing.
Additional Detention Beds
The proposal includes funding for 40,520 detention beds with no explicit cap on the number of beds that can be purchased. Should Immigration and Customs Enforcement find additional funding, they can use it for more beds. According to Republicans, this allows for enough flexibility to reach Trump’s request of 52,000 detention beds, and perhaps even more. The Democrats had initially requested a cap of 16,500 additional interior detention beds, however, that was dropped.
Increased DHS Funding
The proposal also includes a $1.7 billion increase in spending for the Department of Homeland Security, the majority of which will go towards technology, increased security at legal points of entry, additional customs officers, and humanitarian aid.
On Tuesday, Trump said that he is still considering executive action to achieve his demand of $5.7 billion in border wall funding. The President has been making the case for declaring a national emergency since the last shutdown. He could also use executive orders to reallocate government funds already appropriated by Congress.
However, such action would likely result in a court battle as well as a fight in Congress.
For now, Trump may be satisfied with the stretch of barrier that has been approved, as it does allow him to declare to his supporters that the wall is being built. In fact, he is already doing so.
Jenn Bentley is a writer and editor originally from Cadiz, Kentucky. Her writing has been featured in publications such as The Examiner, The High Tech Society, FansShare, Yahoo News, and others. When she’s not writing or editing, Jenn spends her time raising money for Extra Life and advocating for autism awareness.
