Border security big, dangerous problem: Trump

The US is doing well, except for border security, which is a "big and dangerous problem" for the country, President Donald Trump said Wednesday, asserting that he is determined to address this national security issue.

The sharp differences between the Trump administration and the opposition Democrats on border security has resulted in a partial government shutdown, which enters its 19th day today.

"We can all play games, but a wall is a necessity," Trump told reporters during a White House bill signing ceremony for the anti-human trafficking bill.

"The US is doing well, except for border security, which is a big and dangerous problem for the country," he said.

 

Trump wants to build a strong wall to prevent flow of illegal immigrants into the US and has sought a USD 5.6 billion in Congressional funding. The opposition Democrats says such a move is wastage of tax payers' money. This has resulted in a stalemate between the two.

"This is not a fight I wanted. I didn't want this fight...We gotta get the politics out of this and go back to common sense. They say it's a medieval solution. It's true. It's medieval because it worked then and it works now," Trump said in support of his border wall proposition.

Initially he wanted a concrete wall. Following weeks of talks, Trump now says he is okay with a steel wall.

Trump also said all the federal employees hit by the partial government

shutdown would receive their payments.

The president said he wants immigration reform. "I would love to see a big immigration bill where we really take care of the situation...We would like to see real immigration reform in this country because we need it," he said.

Responding to a question, Trump said declaring a national emergency is still under consideration.

"I think we might work a deal, and if we don't we might go that route," he said, asserting that he has the "absolute right" to declare an emergency and the "threshold" for declaring one is if he can't make a deal.