Compassion Means Helping Migrants Enter Legally

Amid outcry over the situation at the southern border, White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway provided somewhat of a reality check.

As IJR previously reported, migrants tried storming the border earlier this week and encountered tear gas from law enforcement.

Hundreds try to storm the border. Expect significant US response #tijuana pic.twitter.com/0T50XUnXtY

— emma murphy (@emmamurphyitv) November 25, 2018

While speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Conway suggested people should show migrants compassion by offering to help them come to the United States legally.

“Try to help,” she said, according to The Hill. “Who’s helping them to realize how they can immigrate here legally?”

She also noted that “there are peaceful and legal ways to come to this country and I would say to those women and their children that they should go ahead and look at those options.”

While Conway said that she had “great compassion” for mothers trying to bring their children to the U.S., she also attempted to discredit false ideas surrounding compassion.

“Who promised them things that don’t exist? Who took their money and promised them safe passage and a peaceful path here towards asylum, when it’s not true?” she asked.

“That’s not the way to come,” she added. Her statements came as the president refused to back down from enforcing immigration law and protecting the border.

Mexico should move the flag waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries. Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it anyway you want, but they are NOT coming into the U.S.A. We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018

Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court. We only will allow those who come into our Country legally. Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain. No “Releasing” into the U.S…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018

….All will stay in Mexico. If for any reason it becomes necessary, we will CLOSE our Southern Border. There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018

While it seemed unlikely that Congress would reach a compromise on immigration, thousands of additional migrants were traveling behind the thousands that already made it to the border.

Trump seemed poised to push for border wall funding just before the budget deadline on Dec. 7 — potentially opening the door to a government shutdown.

Although Trump’s House majority may help him to push border funding before Democrats take over next year, he could have a difficult time getting that through his slim majority in the Senate.

As IJR previously noted, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) both indicated they wouldn’t be willing to shut down the government over the wall issue.