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Trump cuts all direct assistance to Northern Triangle countries Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

In a stunning about-face, State Department officials said that President Donald Trump is cutting off all direct assistance to the so-called Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

“At the Secretary’s instruction, we are carrying out the President’s direction and ending FY [fiscal year] 2017 and FY 2018 foreign assistance programs for the Northern Triangle,” a State Department spokesperson told ABC News, referring to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “We will be engaging Congress as part of this process.”

(MORE: Trump threatens to completely close southern border as early as next week if Mexico doesn't stop 'illegal immigration')

These three countries are the primary source of migrants to the U.S., but for years the U.S. has worked with them to stabilize their political environments and economies and end violence and corruption so that migrants wouldn’t leave in the first place.

Trump hinted at the cuts earlier on Friday, telling reporters,”I’ve ended payments to Guatemala, to Honduras, and to El Salvador. No money goes there anymore.”

While the president has threatened these cuts before, this time the administration is actually following through.

Trump said the funds totaled $500 million, but it wasn’t clear Friday if that figure was accurate. The State Department announced in December that the U.S. would mobilize $5.8 billion in public and private american investment to these three countries.

“We’re not paying them anymore because they haven’t done a thing for us,” he added.

His senior-most advisers, however, have carried a very different tune, talking very often about the importance of this assistance to stem the flow of illegal immigration.

(MORE: Pence to immigrants: 'If you can't come legally, don't come at all')

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was in Mexico and Honduras this week meeting with their leadership to sign new partnership agreements. Pompeo testified before the House of Representatives on Wednesday about the administration's efforts, saying the president had instructed him and Nielsen to use U.S. funding to "develop a set of programs that reward effective outcomes, that reward good leadership, that get us to a place where we actually achieve the outcomes."

In a speech in Brazil last June, Vice President Mike Pence touted the “significant resources” the administration was putting toward this effort, though much of those resources were allocated under former President Barack Obama’s administration.

“The United States of America has never been more committed to strengthening our partnership with the nations in the Northern Triangle to help ... tackle the problems facing our shared neighborhood,” Pence said in October when hosting leaders from the Northern Triangle and Mexico at the State Department with Pompeo.

Trump's previous threats to pull the plug, however, had often left U.S. officials scratching their heads and straining to explain why these funds described as key to stemming migration would be cut off -- as punishment for not stemming migration.

When Pompeo was challenged on the president’s previous threatening tweets on Wednesday, he told Congress, "I’m not going to comment on my evaluation. You asked me about the U.S. policy, and I’ve done my level-best to articulate it."

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crank,,, are you dumb or just refuse to think?   numbers are up,,, there has been several large caravans and more coming.   drugs are rampant.  the number of illegals on public assistance is crazy as we under pay Social Security retirees that paid into the system for over 40 years.  Illegals get free medical as people that paid into Medicare for over 40 years are still paying.  Several ranchers and others living on the border are pleading for help.  As we enter tax time, illegals are claiming kids still in other countries (yes even nephews and nieces) and getting back thousands they didn't pay in.   

The wall won't do all however will make a huge difference.   My main complaint is congress has done nothing.   They are responsible for making laws, adjusting to the times. Since Reagan they have done nothing.  People like you complain about President Trump while congress is controlled by people that have been in for several terms and got nothing done.   This is on both sides of the aisle.  Trump is in office because many are tired of the corrupt DC..  I voted against Clinton more than for Trump.  My next vote sadly will be against democrats more than for republicans.   Often votes boil down to the lesser of two bad choices.   Republicans are the lesser of two bad choices.

1130 posted:

crank,,, are you dumb or just refuse to think?   numbers are up,,, there has been several large caravans and more coming.   drugs are rampant.  the number of illegals on public assistance is crazy as we under pay Social Security retirees that paid into the system for over 40 years.  Illegals get free medical as people that paid into Medicare for over 40 years are still paying.  Several ranchers and others living on the border are pleading for help.  As we enter tax time, illegals are claiming kids still in other countries (yes even nephews and nieces) and getting back thousands they didn't pay in.   

The wall won't do all however will make a huge difference.   My main complaint is congress has done nothing.   They are responsible for making laws, adjusting to the times. Since Reagan they have done nothing.  People like you complain about President Trump while congress is controlled by people that have been in for several terms and got nothing done.   This is on both sides of the aisle.  Trump is in office because many are tired of the corrupt DC..  I voted against Clinton more than for Trump.  My next vote sadly will be against democrats more than for republicans.   Often votes boil down to the lesser of two bad choices.   Republicans are the lesser of two bad choices.

Central American migrants, part of the caravan hoping to reach the U.S. border, move on a road in Tapachula, Chiapas State, Mexico, Thursday, March 28, 2019. A caravan of about 2,500 Central Americans and Cubans is currently making its way through Mexico's southern state of Chiapas. [AP Photo/Isabel Mateos)

Central American migrants, part of the caravan hoping to reach the U.S. border, move on a road in Tapachula, Chiapas State, Mexico, Thursday, March 28, 2019. A caravan of about 2,500 Central Americans and Cubans is currently making its way through Mexico's southern state of Chiapas. (AP Photo/Isabel Mateos)

Jack Hammer posted:

 

Mr. Trump, Mr. Pence and Ms. Nielsen are right that there has been a significant increase in border crossings in the past few months when compared with the same period in 2017.

Below is a New York Times piece, above is also a NYT piece with a different claim

 

 ()

 

You do realize both charts show the same facts, right? Two decades of decreased immigration.

You can't be this ignorant. Who ties your shoes for you?

Last edited by L. Cranston
Jack Hammer posted:
No one said they were different, ignorance is not knowing why
both were shown, tells me you're the only ignorant.
 
say Good Night Gracie

Simple for anyone with intelligence. One article was written with facts. The other was written to 'excite the base' for the Republican masses. The fact that you can't see the difference is why you're such a rube.

Good Night, Gracie.

Last edited by L. Cranston
Dr. John posted:
Jack Hammer posted:
No one said they were different, ignorance is not knowing why
both were shown, tells me you're the only ignorant.
 
say Good Night Gracie

Which of the two appears incapable of composing a grammatical sentence? Say you're sorry, Jack.

Neither one ever has an intelligent thought, so they think out loud anyway. 

Jack Hammer posted:
When it comes to thousands of rampaging thugs with intent to
do serious harm to this country that is already confronted with
having the life chocked out it finds it necessary to do whatever
is necessary, without delay and no BS from the socialist.
 

These people are no better than your unlawful flash gang looters.

What? How about something that makes sense?

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