News Analysis |
U.S President Donald Trump, after declaring the state of emergency for the sole purpose of accumulating the requisite $6 billion required for building the wall along the Mexican border, has successfully tapped in the Pentagon funds of $1 billion. These funds are actually “reprogrammed”, the term currently been used from Trump aides, from one agency to another.
Building a wall along more than 3000 Km long Mexican border has been U.S President’s campaign slogan and a pet project which many believe to be inefficient and a waste of resources. In December last year, Donald Trump tried to push Congress in releasing the funds required for the wall which led to the longest government shutdown in the U.S history.
Xenophobia is a real phenomenon among the people of the United States who fear for their jobs and resources been taken over by the immigrants along with the drugs and violence which comes from the Mexican border.
After the recent take over of House of Representatives by Democrats following the election, most the committees chaired by Democrats have come hard at the President from multiple sides. Armed Services Committee which oversees the matter pertaining to Pentagon, under the chairmanship of democrat representative Adam Smith refused to endorse the reallocation of funds, a move which is nominal in nature.
“The committee denies this request. The committee does not approve the proposed use of Department of Defense funds to construct additional physical barriers and roads or install lighting in the vicinity of the United States border,” Smith said in a letter to the Department of Defense.
Technically Pentagon is authorized to reallocate the funds at its disposal without the formal approval of Congress, but it has been a norm to still go for the Congress’s blessing. Such a reprogramming without the consent of Congress may end up with the legislation which might impact the discretionary authority of Pentagon to shift funds, as hinted by Adam Smith as well.
Read more: Pentagon authorizes $1 bn for Trump’s border wall
But for such legislation to take effect, Democrats would also need the law to be passed from Senate which is still controlled by Republican, making the prospect of such a development difficult if not outright impossible.
Trump Cashed the Fear of Americans
Xenophobia is a real phenomenon among the people of the United States who fear for their jobs and resources been taken over by the immigrants along with the drugs and violence which comes from the Mexican border.
It is the perception which Donald Trump has been successful in inculcating in the minds of a considerable portion of the American population that they are under an existential threat.
Donald Trump capitalized the same fear during his earlier campaign and now when reelection is here, he is once again blowing hot the issue of illegal immigrants. He has managed to synchronize the issue of illegal crossing from Mexico with Islamic terrorism building a narrative that the United States of America’s national security is vulnerable unless a wall is built all along the Mexican border.
Although a majority of U.S population does not agree that building the wall is going to solve the problem of illegal immigrants into the country, but there is still a substantial number of people who do align with the President’s thinking pattern. It is the perception which Donald Trump has been successful in inculcating in the minds of a considerable portion of the American population that they are under an existential threat.
The fear factor of a foreign influx of immigrants, along with some genuine progress made vis-à-vis job creation in the manufacturing sector, might incrementally add up to pave the way for Donald Trump’s yet another term in the oval office.
Read more: Sixteen states sue Trump over border wall emergency
It would satisfy those Americans who, considering all his flamboyance and outspokenness which at times goes against the norms of the presidency, still think that he is the only person candid enough to solve the problem of illegal immigration. But the unpredictability it brings to U.S policies might not be a good thing for countries like Pakistan.