As we approach the end of the three-week negotiating period that was established in the deal to end the government shutdown, the Republicans and Democrats have announced a tentative deal and it is yet another disaster from the Republican side.

As expected, more than two weeks had passed with no progress in the negotiations, as Democrats remained unwilling to provide any funding for a wall or physical barrier to protect key, vulnerable sections of our southern border. Over the past weekend, we learned that talks had completely broken down due to a new Democrat demand. They insisted on a radical reduction and cap on the number of beds that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) can operate in the interior of the USA to hold people who have entered the country illegally and are waiting to have their deportation cases reviewed. With a legislated cap on the number of beds in the 17,000 range, ICE would be forced to release tens of thousands of illegals into the general population. The most recent DHS (Department of Homeland Security) numbers indicate that 87% of the people who are currently detained in these facilities have either been convicted or charged with crimes beyond their original crime of illegally entering the country. Keep in mind that DHS also reports that once released into the country, 97% of the illegal aliens never show up for their official deportation hearings. The numbers don’t lie. An artificial cap on ICE beds would result in a huge number of dangerous criminals being immediately released into our country, with virtually no chance of ever seeing them again in a courtroom. Republicans rightfully expressed outrage at this new proposal, calling it a non-starter. Somehow, the Republicans failed to see that this was part of the overall Democrat negotiating strategy in a predictable fashion. By proposing an outrageous demand that could never be approved by Republicans, there were only two paths to follow. One would be for the Republicans to declare that the talks were dead and that no deal could be reached because of the reckless Democrat position, which would make our homeland security even more compromised. Of course, our Republican negotiators lacked the fortitude and courage to take this position and present it to the public. Instead, they followed the second path, which is the one that they are used to, which confuses capitulation with negotiated victory. They settled on a “compromise” which “only” reduces ICE beds by 17% (instead of 80%) and provides $1.35 million for non-concrete border barriers. Republicans happily announced this “breakthrough” as a negotiated compromise. What did we get? We got a tiny pittance for border security, in the amount that was already on the table from previous Democrat offers. We also got a proposed 17% reduction in ICE beds, which would result in the release of thousands of criminals (convicted and/or charged) into the country. Our Republican negotiators emit a sigh of relief, as if they accomplished something! We don’t eliminate most of the ICE beds and we can build a few miles of the border barrier…and most importantly, Republicans can’t be blamed for failed negotiations! They have effectively passed the buck to President Trump. Thankfully for the country, the President knows how to work these type of deals and this plays into his overall strategy. He will be able to keep the government open (which the general population wants, at any cost), take the pennies for the barrier as a “down payment”, and correctly state that Congress (both parties) are unwilling to make a better deal to secure the nation. He will then move full speed ahead on border barrier construction, which he is already doing and has repeatedly announced over the past three weeks, under the new slogan, “Finish the Wall”. Under the same existing laws that will permit the President to transfer money already appropriated to build the wall (for national security and drug interdiction), he will also be able to transfer other money to keep 100% (or more) of the ICE beds in place, in the interest of national security. If the Democrats want to take him to court to protest keeping the beds in place, we would welcome that debate. Placing the Democrats into a corner where they have to defend releasing proven criminals into the population, with a 97% court no-show record, is a losing strategy for them.

In last night’s deal, the Republicans did what they always do…they were sure that they could kick the football because Lucy promised to hold it this time. After they fell on their backsides once again, they can look to President Trump to kick the winning field goal. If Lucy lines up to be the holder, he will just tell her, “You’re fired!”