Trump says the wall will be ‘started ahead of schedule’ in Congressional address

President Donald Trump took the stage on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. Tuesday night to make his first speech in front of Congress since his inauguration.

Though he didn’t refer to Arizona directly when talking about immigration, his comments will impact Arizona greatly, if not more than any other state in the nation.

Trump spoke about the wall that he is pushing to build on the border between the United States and Mexico, saying it will be “started ahead of schedule.”

“We must restore integrity and the rule of law at our borders. For that reason, we will soon begin the construction of a great, great wall along our southern border,” Trump said. “It will be started ahead of schedule and, when finished, it will be a very effective weapon against drugs and crime.

“As we speak tonight, we are removing gang members, drug dealers and criminals that threaten our communities and prey on our very innocent citizens. Bad ones are going out as I speak tonight and as I have promised during the campaign.”

Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said last week that she hopes the wall will be finished by the end of Trump’s first term as president.

A main argument around the Valley and the nation for those in favor of the wall is how much crime will go down when the illegal immigrants are deported and kept out of the country.

Trump used the same argument when trying to get all of the members in Congress to understand his point.

“To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I would ask you this question: what would you say to the American family that loses their jobs, their income, or their loved one, because America refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders?” Trump asked.

According to a Pew Research Center study earlier this month, the Phoenix area alone is home to 250,000 undocumented immigrants.

 

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