Trump Promises ‘Major Announcement’ About Border Security, Government Shutdown

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(RFE/RL) — U.S President Donald Trump says he will make a “major announcement” on January 19 about the partial government shutdown and the security situation around the southern border.

“I will be making a major announcement concerning the Humanitarian Crisis on our Southern Border, and the Shutdown, tomorrow afternoon at 3 P.M. (2000 GMT), live from the @WhiteHouse,” Trump tweeted on January 18. He did not provide any further details.

The government has been shuttered for four weeks over Trump’s insistence that a wider budget measure include $5.7 billion in funding for a wall on the border with Mexico — and the refusal by Democrats to do so.

The shutdown, which has left about 800,000 federal workers without pay, is now the longest in the country’s history — and there is no sign of a compromise. Many government employees are now working without pay, having missed their first payday of 2019.

Trump has openly talked about declaring a state of emergency on the border with Mexico in a move to try to secure funding for the wall without congressional approval. Such a declaration would likely be challenged in the courts.

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RFE/RL journalists report the news in 21 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established.

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