By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump ripped Mexico and undocumented immigrants Monday in a series of tweets that culminated with claims of Obama-era protections for children brought illegally to the U.S. are “dead.
Trump’s Twitter screed began with him repeating claims of immigrant “caravans” heading to the U.S. from Central America while blaming Mexico for allegedly failing to halt them at its border.
“They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws,” he claimed.
Immigrant "caravans" have been a popular topic on Fox News, and Trump urged Congress “to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People.
“Border Patrol Agents (and ICE) are GREAT, but the weak Dem laws don’t allow them to do their job,” he said, possibly referring to laws passed under Democratic administrations or congresses.
“DACA is dead because the Democrats didn’t care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon... No longer works. Must build Wall and secure our borders with proper Border legislation. Democrats want No Borders, hence drugs and crime!” he added.
Trump has been all over the map on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program after unilaterally ending it last year. He had struck optimism that a deal could be reached, calling a solution to the legal limbo he placed hundreds of thousands of into a “bill of love”.
He declared on Easter Sunday there would be “NO MORE DACA DEAL” to resolve the problem while saying Mexico is doing little, if nothing to prevent immigrants from coming to the U.S. illegally.
Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray Caso disputed the claim, responding on Twitter by saying the U.S. and Mexico cooperate on immigration “throughout the region.
“Facts clearly reflect this,” he said. “Upholding human dignity and rights is not at odds with the rule of law.”
Trump’s hardline on immigration comes after conservative commentator Ann Coulter criticized him of allegedly failing to live up to his campaign promises to build a border wall with Mexico and deport those living in the U.S. illegally.