Delays were already rising at several key border crossings as Trump ratcheted up pressure on Democrats in Congress to toughen US laws against illegal immigrants, threatening to hurt the US economy in the name of border security. "It is a national emergency on the border," Trump said. If Mexico does not stop migrants from transiting across its territory, and if Congress does not act, he said, "the border's going to be closed, 100%." Mexico "made a big step over the past two days," he said, adding that they would have to continue if they don't want the border closed. On the Mexican side, Andres Morales Arreola, head of operations for border crossings in Chihuahua state, said the border between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso had "collapsed" because so many US border officials have been reassigned to deal with the migrant influx.

Source: Dhaka Tribune April 03, 2019 04:52 UTC