Donald Trump, all set to deploy the National Guard to the border, continued to ignore reality as he declared semi-victory on that “Caravan” making its way through Mexico that he’s been so obsessed with:
Oh, wow, he recognized that border crossings are at a 46-year low. That’s big of him. If that’s unacceptable, though, what’s he looking for? Zero border crossings and a border patrolled by flying monkeys? Trump departs from reality, though, when talking about the Mexican government’s actions.
In response to Mr. Trump’s tweets and his plans to militarize the border, the Mexican Senate unanimously passed a nonbinding statement on Wednesday urging President Enrique Peña Nieto to suspend cooperation with the United States on immigration and security matters — “as long as President Donald Trump does not conduct himself with the civility and respect that the Mexican people deserve.”
And about that caravan. Rather than having been broken up by the Mexican government:
Mexican migration authorities were distributing transit permits that would either give the migrants 20 days to leave the country or 30 days to formally apply for legal immigration status in Mexico. [...]
Caravan organizers also said their intent was never to storm the border, especially not with a caravan of this size. While the original plan included the possibility of escorting the caravan to the northern border of Mexico, organizers had expected the group to mostly dissolve by the time it had reached Mexico City.
It’s a group heavy on children and women, many of them seeking asylum as they flee violence in their homes. That’s what’s had Trump terrified and outraged all week long—vulnerable people looking for help escaping violence and hoping to enter the U.S. legally, traveling in a group that was unlikely to make it all the way to the border intact.