President Donald Trump had immigration on his mind Wednesday morning, firing off a collection of tweets praising his administration’s efforts.
Trump started by hailing a court ruling on Tuesday that allowed his border wall to proceed, but seemed to acknowledge that no actual construction on any new border barriers can begin until Congress authorizes funds.
“I have decided that sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved. Big victory yesterday with ruling from the courts that allows us to proceed. OUR COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY!” Trump tweeted.
Trump did not mention that he had previously attacked the judge, Golanzo Curiel, when he presided over a lawsuit against Trump University. Trump said in 2016 that Curiel, who was born in Indiana, was biased against him due to his Mexican heritage.
It was unclear what sections Trump was referring to in his tweets. His administration has built wall prototypes in San Diego and were authorized to put up replacement fencing in that region as well, which was the subject of the court ruling the administration won on Tuesday. Many California politicians, a state largely controlled by Democrats, have been opposed to Trump’s long-promised wall and his aggressive immigration agenda.
The Department of Homeland Security and White House did not respond to requests for comment or explanation.
Trump followed up his border tweet with another praising his administration’s efforts.
“45 year low on illegal border crossings this year. Ice and Border Patrol Agents are doing a great job for our Country. MS-13 thugs being hit hard,” he tweeted.
That tweet followed shortly after an appearance by acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Tom Homan on Fox News, who mentioned the 45-year low on border crossings during an interview about the overall administration’s immigration and border efforts.
During Trump’s first months in office, the number of people apprehended or turned away at the Southern border plummeted to historic lows, a trend the administration touted as evidence of the effectiveness of its hardline position. But those numbers have also ticked back up over the summer and into winter, reaching a level similar to all but the final few months of the Obama administration.
Homan credited “the President’s leadership” with the drop at the border and said it demonstrated that enforcing immigration laws “has an effect.”
