Central American migrants walk along the highway near the border with Guatemala, as they continue their journey trying to reach the US, in Tapachula, Mexico October 21, 2018. (Photo: VCG)
US President Donald Trump said Monday the US would begin “cutting off, or substantially reducing” aid to three Central American nations over a migrant caravan heading to the US southern border.
Trump tweeted: “Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the US.”
The three countries received a combined more than $500 million in funding from the US in fiscal year 2017, though it was not immediately clear how much Trump is seeking to cut.
The Monday morning tweets marked the latest escalation by the president, who is seeking to re-inject immigration politics into the national conversation in the closing weeks of the midterm elections.
On a three-day campaign swing to Western states last week, Trump raised alarm over thousands of migrants traveling through Mexico to the US and threatened to seal off the US-Mexico border if they weren’t stopped.
As the migrants continued their northward march about 900 miles from the US border, Trump tweeted that, “Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan.
He added:“I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy.” White House officials could not immediately provide details.
A Pentagon spokesman, Army Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, said the Pentagon has received no new orders to provide troops for border security.
