When 72-year-old Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen April 7, Democrats cheered, blaming her for the separation policy that removed children from their families while detained at the U.S. border. No one expected Trump to clean house, firing Secret Service Director Randolf “Tex” Alles, who ran the department for two years. Trump found problems with Nielsen and Alles, both of whom looked like they were over their heads. Alles couldn’t explain last week how a Chinese woman got through security at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf resort in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump realized with Alles at the helm, who needed enemies to allow such an egregious neglect of security at Mir-a-Lago. Alles couldn’t explain the security breach at Mar-a-Lago, raising red flags about Alle’s leadership. Trump had no choice but to fire Alles and Nielsen.
Unlike other presidents, Trump knows what he wants from people working for him, especially his security detail. After dodging a bullet with the Mueller Report March 22 concluding that the president and his inner circle wouldn’t be charged with Russian collusion or obstruction of justice, Trump was free to clean house. Nielsen, who was an assistant to former Homeland Security chief Gen. John Kelly, didn’t cut-the-muster, especially when it came to border security. Since taking over for Kelly Dec. 6, 2017, Nielsen didn’t show the kind of moxie Trump wanted to deal with:border Security. With the U.S.-Mexican border swamped with refugees, Nielsen couldn’t execute Trump get-tough border policy without creating a public relations nightmare for Trump. Nielsen was largely blamed for family separations at the Mexican border, largely because she wasn’t good in front of cameras.
Whatever the blame, Democrats in Congress know that current immigration laws prohibit children from staying in detention with their parents for more than 20 days. Democrats blamed Nielsen for the policy that was routinely practiced at the border during former President Barack Obama’s eight years in office. Yet Nielsen became a lightening-rod for Democrats, looking for political hay against the president. Today’s firing of Alles raised eyebrows in Congress, looking for more political fodder. “As soon as possible about the potential security vulnerabilities at Mar-a-Lago . . . and other counterintelligence and national security threats,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called on Alles to testify. Schumer hopes to dig up more dirt on Trump, seeking to blame Trump for security lapses. Trump’s approach to border security has been tied to national security.
Nominating U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAllenan to replace Alles, Trump wants someone to work his get-tough immigration policy. Nielsen presided at a time when over 100,000 illegal aliens were detained on the Southern border, more than during the last 10 years. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Schumer battled—and lost—to Trump on the issue of whether there’s a crisis on the Southern border. Democrats hoped to use Trump’s borders policy to highlight his failures but, instead, have been forced to accept Trump won the battle declaring the border a national emergency, beating Democrats attempt to override his veto March 26. With Nielsen’s departure, Trump makes credible case to beef up border security, replacing her with a friend of Immigration Customs and Enforcement [ICE], the Border Patrol and local law enforcement.
Threatening to shut down the Mexican border March 30, Trump got the attention of Mexican President Lopez Obrador, who’s now playing a more serious role turning back Central American caravans. Trump wants Obrador to use the Mexican military to stop caravans originating in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, bringing thousands of immigrants North to the U.S. border. Democrats continue to deny the problems on the border, instead urging Trump to support the failed economices in South and Central America. Whatever economic development improves employment, it’s no going to fix today’s border crisis. Working the Mexican military, Trump finally has the backing needed to make a dent in an undeniable border crisis, except to partisan Democrats. Replacing Nielsen with McAleenan should give a stronger law enforcement approach to border security.
When Trump won his veto with House Democrats March 26, he started building his border wall without interference. Pelosi and Schumer wasted a lot of political capital fighting Trump’s attempt to spend more on an effective border barrier. No one expects beefing up the border fence to solve all the border problems but, if nothing else, it shows U.S. resolve to secure its Southern border. Democrats open border policy was on full display for all to see, setting up a political fight in the 2020 election. Once Democrats failed to override Trump’s veto they effectively lost any leverage to stop Trump’s key campaign promise to build his border wall. Heading into the 2020 election, Trump can show his base and others that he means business protecting the U.S. homeland. Democrats face a losing battle continuing to fight Trump over the border wall, especially now that it’s being built.
