Rep. Grijalva released the following statement in response to reports that the Trump administration will seek $18 billion from Congress for the construction of new and replacement segments of the border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border over the next decade. The proposal is also reported to include funding requests for border technology, personnel, and roads that total $33 billion including funding for the wall. This news comes days after Trump tweeted that any deal to offer protection to more than 800,000 DREAMers must include funding for the border wall.

“President Trump has an obsessive fixation on a ‘big, beautiful wall’ that is a complete detachment from reality,” Rep. Grijalva said. “The U.S.-Mexico border region already boasts more than 650+ miles of physical barriers, thousands of Border Patrol agents, and billions in ‘border security measures.’ The vast majority of the 12 million people who call the borderlands home are vehemently opposed to building even more barriers, especially when historically low numbers of individuals are attempting to cross them.

“Trump and the Republicans who still sympathize with his maniac obsessions would rather waste $18 billion on a border wall than fund critical programs that invest in the American people. It is also alarming that Trump continues to toy with the lives of more than 800,000 DREAMers. Since day one, his bait-and-switch approach to DREAMers has done nothing more than stop all progress we have made to ensure a permanent and fair fix to the DACA program. To now pool the issue of border security with that of DREAMers who are American in all ways except under a document is an outstanding showcase of his callousness.

The urgency to pass a clean DREAM Act continues to build, especially when the President continues to spew his hate. Every day, 122 DREAMers lose their protected status. If Speaker Ryan allowed a vote on the DREAM Act, it would pass. DREAMers should not be treated as political pawns.”