President Told Border Agents to Break the Law

on April 5, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 05: U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters after arriving in Air Force One at LAX Airport on April 5, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Ê (Photo by Michael Kovac/WireImage)
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There’s always something more going on when we have these periods of maximal chaos coming out of the White House. There’s a lot of stuff contained in this article that just dropped from CNN. But there’s a remarkable passage. When he was at the border last week Trump reportedly told agents to stop allowing migrants to come across the border. After the President left, supervisors had to tell the agents that if they followed the President’s order they’d be breaking the law.

Last Friday, the President visited Calexico, California, where he said, “We’re full, our system’s full, our country’s full — can’t come in! Our country is full, what can you do? We can’t handle any more, our country is full. Can’t come in, I’m sorry. It’s very simple.”

Behind the scenes, two sources told CNN, the President told border agents to not let migrants in. Tell them we don’t have the capacity, he said. If judges give you trouble, say, “Sorry, judge, I can’t do it. We don’t have the room.”

After the President left the room, agents sought further advice from their leaders, who told them they were not giving them that direction and if they did what the President said they would take on personal liability. You have to follow the law, they were told.

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