Houston Matters

Border Security Tops The Agenda For The New Congress

Funding for a border wall prompts stalemate between Democrats and the Trump Administration as the government shutdown continues.

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Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California takes the gavel from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., after being elected House speaker at the Capitol in Washington on Thursday.

The start of a new Congressional session comes in the midst of the partial government shutdown, a situation prompted because of the stalemate between Democrats and the Trump Administration over funding for border security.

The president wants five billion dollars for a border wall. Democrats, on the other hand, want a fraction of that—1-point-3 billion—for security measures that include drones, sensors, and training for border agents.

FILE – In this April 10, 2018, file frame from video, a National Guard troop watches over Rio Grande River on the border in Roma, Texas. The deployment of National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border at President Donald Trump’s request was underway with a gradual ramp-up of troops under orders to help curb illegal immigration. (AP Photo/John Mone, File)

In the audio above, we learn more from Julian Aguilar on what policymakers at the U.S.-Mexico border actually think about the wall and other border security proposals. Aguilar is an immigration and border security reporter at the Texas Tribune.

Associated Press/Carolyn Kaster
AP

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