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Trump Signs Humanitarian Aid Package to Bolster Migrant Care

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed a $4.6 billion aid package
   on Monday to help the federal government cope with the surge of Central
   American immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
   Many Democratic lawmakers were hoping for more. They wanted to provide
   stronger protections for how migrants are treated at holding facilities
   and to make it easier for lawmakers to make snap visits.
   Trump signed the bill in the Oval Office, flanked by Vice President
   Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. The
   emergency legislation was needed to ease overcrowded, often harsh
   conditions at U.S. holding facilities for migrants seeking asylum,
   mostly from Central American nations like Honduras and El Salvador.
   "This is a humane solution to a tremendous problem that starts because
   of our bad immigration laws,'' Trump said.
   The White House had threatened to veto a House bill on grounds that it
   would hamstring border security efforts. Democratic House Speaker Nancy
   Pelosi was forced to accept the Republican-controlled Senate's version
   of the aid package, frustrating the more liberal members of her caucus.
   The bill bolsters care for tens of thousands of arrivals taken into
   custody monthly and sets guidelines for how the Trump administration
   must handle them.
   Trump expressed satisfaction with the bill, but made clear he was
   dissatisfied with the state of illegal immigration in the United
   States. He suggested he would continue with plans for a nationwide
   immigration sweep to deport people living the United States illegally,
   including families.
   Trump delayed the raids about a week ago. The move came after Pelosi
   urged Trump to call them off. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
   leaders had also expressed serious concerns that officers' safety would
   be in jeopardy because too many details about the raids had been made
   public.
   "After July 4th, a lot of people are going to be brought back out,"
   Trump threatened. "ICE is going to be apprehending them and bringing
   them back."
   Trump dismissed the conditions that most people seeking asylum in the
   U.S. face in their home countries. He said they are lodging ``frivolous
   asylum claims.''
   "That's what they do to gain access into the country," Trump said.
   "They lodge claims of asylum, and they're totally bogus claims."