Putting aside for this discussion the issue of how the wall would not work and just be an expensive boondoggle, there is no national emergency regarding the border. Undocumented border crossings are at a twenty year low (details here). Trump himself has repeatedly said the border is safe and secure (and, of course, he often contradicts that in the next breath).
Hopefully, someone will petition a federal court to put a stop to the national emergency charade if Trump attempts it.
Because evoking a national emergency would, unfortunately, give Trump a whole lot of new, unchecked powers already approved by Congress (details here). He could substantially shut down the internet. He could freeze bank accounts. He could make life a living hell for his opponents.
At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy nut, Trump's loose talk about a national emergency tempts one to wonder if this was the plan all along, to demand something he knew Congress wouldn't give him and then use that a pretense to declaring a national emergency, thereby instantly increasing his powers.
This is a developing story that must be closely watched. Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Speak up!