TUCSON, AZ— Today, President Trump announced that he plans to send the U.S. military to the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent border crossings by undocumented immigrants. This comes after yesterday’s policy changes to immigration courts and Sunday’s factually incorrect tweets on DACA and asylum seekers. In response, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva issued the following statement:

“Trump’s recent calls to send U.S. military troops to occupy the southern border is the latest chapter in his reign of terror meant to wreak havoc on immigrants and residents of border communities. After his failure to secure funding for his ‘big beautiful wall,’ he is clearly grasping for straws.

“This is nothing new for a President whose abysmal job performance has forced him to seek solace in the rabid anti-immigrant sentiments of his disconnected political base. Not content with ending DACA, terrorizing immigrant families with indiscriminate raids, and attacking asylum seekers, he is now proposing a quota policy for our immigration courts that only ensures that expediency will overshadow their accuracy and integrity.

“Instead of ignorant tweets, draconian policies, and blatant obstruction of bipartisan immigration solutions, Trump needs to learn how the government works and understand the distinction between local law enforcement and military functions. If he truly wants to fix our broken immigration system, he must work with Congress on comprehensive immigration legislation that includes remedying DACA, prioritizing families, and meeting our nation’s economic needs. Anything less is mere pandering.”