WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise Sunday in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump’s team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month.
Congress is on recess until Feb. 23, and both sides appear dug into their positions. The impasse affects agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
At this point, they will be teetering on becoming a failed state in no time.
As a unitedstatesian: I would prefer the US becomes a failed state over fully and comprehensively converting into an expansionist imperial authoritarian dictatorship.
Yes, yes, I know many will say “you’re already there” - but if you think the current state is as bad as it can get, you are kidding yourself. I would far rather see this country balkanize itself, instead of watching the US military march into Canada and Mexico and Greenland and as much of South and Central America (and who the fuck knows what else) the regime feels like annexing. And this doesn’t even touch on the insane domestic implications that are playing out right now.
I hope Europe and South America can start seriously getting their shit together, in the context of credible defense and geopolitical power. The US is not even pretending to be the good guys anymore. Please, from an American, get your politicians and legislators to understand this, and act accordingly.