As President Trump celebrates 500 days in office, he has taken the opportunity to publicize the accomplishments of his administration. On Twitter and in a statement issued by the White House, he proclaimed that his administration has reached “500 Days of American Greatness.”
President Trump’s 500 Days of Making Our Communities Safer and More Secure ⬇️ https://t.co/ZwujZwg9pq
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 5, 2018
Controversy at our Borders
One of President Trump’s most passionate and divisive campaign promises was to build a wall at the US border. His supporters argued that this would help with border security and keeping our country safe. Opponents believed that it would be a costly and ineffective way to reform our immigration policy that was not in keeping with our legacy as a country of immigrants.
After 500 days in office, the President is celebrating the steps his administration has taken to “secure our borders and fully enforce our Nation’s immigration laws.”
Trump has prioritized enforcing current immigration laws. In the 500 days statement, the White House commented multiple times about the President’s immigration enforcement policies being “based on the rule of law.” During his time in office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have made “42 percent more arrests of illegal aliens compared to the prior year.”
The administration’s policy on immigration has been one of the most controversial of Trump’s presidency.
Just this past week, the Trump White House came under fire for a policy that separates children from their parents at the border.
“The use of immigration detention and family separation as a deterrent runs counter to human rights standards and principles,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights office said in a press briefing on June 5. “The child’s best interest should always come first, including over migration management objectives or other administrative concerns.”
#UnitedStates: The use of immigration detention & family separation as a deterrent runs counter to #HumanRights standards and principles. The child’s best interest should always come first https://t.co/vpfFbiQGgT pic.twitter.com/a9canifuez
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) June 5, 2018
The zero tolerance policy was enacted in early April and separates parents from their children when caught trying to enter the United States illegally. It was meant to emphasize the consequences of attempting to cross the US and Mexico border illegally.
The President himself was criticized for referring to individuals as “animals” when talking about MS-13 gang members who are among those attempting to enter the US illegally from Central America. He defended his words, saying that “they’re not people” and included examples of the violence that they have been responsible for since coming to the United States.
“These are animals and we have to be very, very tough,” he continued. While Trump is not known for his tact or eloquence, even the mainstream media recognized that the context in which his words were said was crucial to understanding his meaning.
Combating the Opioid Crisis
The White House is also celebrating its work and accomplishments to reduce the opioid epidemic in America.
Legislation signed by the President has directed “nearly $4 billion to address the opioid epidemic.” This includes “critical funding to addiction prevention and treatment, law enforcement operations, research into alternative addiction treatments, and more.”
The focus of the accomplishments that the administration shared in the 500 days statement is on both enforcement and treatment.
Following the declaration of a public health emergency by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2017, resources and attention were directed at the opioid crisis by government agencies. Trump’s direction “brings a new level of urgency to the comprehensive strategy HHS unveiled under President Trump, which empowers the real heroes of this fight: the communities on the frontlines of the epidemic,” then-acting Health and Human Services Secretary Eric D. Hargan said.
The Trump strategy for combating the opioid crisis included five main points: “improve access to prevention, treatment and recovery support services, target the availability and distribution of overdose-reversing drugs, strengthen public health data reporting and collection, support cutting-edge research on addiction and pain, and advance the practice of pain management.”
Since January 2017, DOJ has charged more than 150 doctors for #opioid-related crimes & is taking action to meet the devastating challenge presented by Fentanyl. And we are not slowing down. #500days
— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) June 4, 2018
To work towards these goals, increased access to existing and new treatments has been pursued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Enforcement has also been an important part of the administration’s work and part of Trump’s focus on border security. US Customs and Border Patrol has been working to reduce the amount of illegal drugs entering the United States while the Department of Justice has been actively prosecuting those responsible for illegal drug sales.
The Department of Justice created the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement team (J-CODE) in January 2018 to catch those trying to buy and sell illegal drugs. In just one targeted operation, the team made 8 arrests, conducted over 160 interviews, identified 19 opioid-related overdose deaths, and seized weapons, drugs, counterfeit money, and computers.
J-CODE brings federal, state, and local enforcement agencies together under the lead of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis, and those of us in law enforcement must be relentless in our efforts to disrupt this illicit activity,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray of the work that J-CODE is doing.
As the country looks back on President Trump’s first 500 days in office, it remains divided on the issue of immigration and how to adequately secure our borders while honoring our rich history as a “melting pot” of nations. The President’s work to end the opioid epidemic is linked to securing our borders, as well as advancing new methods for pain management and treating addiction. Safety and security has been a priority for Trump’s domestic policy. The White House is celebrating the steps that have been taken to create a “safe, strong, and proud America.”
