President Trump early Saturday charged that Democrats are at fault for the government shutdown because they want “unchecked illegal immigration.”
“Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Can’t let that happen!”
{mosads}The shutdown began at midnight after the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded.
At the center of the spending bill negotiations has been the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which Trump said last year he would rescind while providing lawmakers time to craft a legislative fix.
Both parties have tried to blame each other for the government closure. The Republican National Committee has promoted the hashtag #SchumerShutdown, referring to Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), while Democrats have placed blame on Trump with #TrumpShutdown.
Republicans warn that a government shutdown harms the military by disrupting funding.
Democrats, meanwhile, claim that Republicans refused to strike a deal even when they offered to consider some of Trump’s immigration-related proposals in exchange for protecting the so-called Dreamers, immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
It is unclear which immigration proposals Trump is referring to in the tweet, although Trump’s push to end family-based or “chain” immigration has also been a sticking point in negotiations.