Puerto Ricans Seethe as Trump Considers Raiding Disaster Aid for Wall
- The latest act in a fraught relationship with the president
- ‘Our people don’t deserve this treatment,’ representative says
Donald Trump passes out paper towels in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico on Oct. 3, 2017.
Photographer: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Many Puerto Ricans were fuming Friday after reports emerged that the White House may raid disaster-relief funds approved by Congress last year to fund a security wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump is considering a declaration of emergency to bypass Congress to fund the barrier. The White House directed the Army Corps of Engineers to examine a February 2018 funding measure to see what money could be diverted under such a declaration, a congressional aide with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. The money would come from $13.9 billion of Corps funds, according to NBC, which cited three U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. That could include $2.4 billion for California and $2.5 billion for Puerto Rico reconstruction, NBC reported.