Trump is setting a precedent that will have profound effects that could end up being very good for Americans.
By using his executive powers to declare a National Emergency he is setting a precedent.
A National Emergency is supposed to be evoked when there is a genuine emergency – a huge natural disaster, a war or something of that magnitude. It enables funds to be taken from other budgets and directed towards dealing with the emergency. Trump is now claiming that illegal immigration is a National Emergency. He has tried to get Mexico to fund his wall and failed. He tried to force Congress to fund it and failed. Now he’s declaring a National Emergency.
Is it a National Emergency? I think not.
There is an ongoing problem with illegal immigration across the Mexican border. That is true. But that immigration is now half what it was. In the 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s it was running at 1 million a year. It wasn’t an emergency back then under both Democrats and Republicans. Now the numbers have halved. There are 500,000 illegals. Why is it suddenly an emergency?
Obviously it is a problem but not an emergency.
Of course, Trump is trying to build it up into an emergency – suddenly all these illegals are rapists, drug runners and terrorists. Where’s the evidence for these assertions? I don’t believe there is one.
So Trump is manufacturing a National Emergency out of a problem. That means that in future he is opening the door for another President to do the same.
So in the future, following some mass killing, it would be possible for a President to declare gun crime a National Emergency and put funds and resources into seizing guns and making America safe!!
You see – good can come out of madness!