The President and his administration are *lying* when they claim there’s a “crisis” at the border.
The President and his administration are *lying* about the alleged “facts” they use to justify this fake “crisis.”

Many observers suggest these lies could be used to declare a so-called “state of emergency” (which would be another lie), and which *might* then allow him a justification to build the “wall.” If so, it would be without congressional approval, without Mexico paying for it (another lie), and *with* American taxpayers footing the bill.

It is entirely possible that during his address to the nation tonight, the President will declare this very “state of emergency.” That’s why I’m writing this in the morning…to get out ahead of that possibility.

If he does declare an “emergency” tonight, or at any point in the future, I simply want you to remember this post: Remember that it will be a lie, built on a lie, built on a lie.

A wall of lies.

Let’s start at the beginning…

FACT ONE: There is no crisis on the border.*

According to the statistics from US Customs and Border Protection, border crossings are at or near historic thirty year LOWS. (Please see attached picture) Fewer and fewer persons are crossing at the southern border. This has been true since the first day of the Trump presidency, and was true the first day Trump ever talked about building a wall. There has NEVER, during the presidency of Donald Trump, been a crisis on the border. (That is a factually accurate statement).*

FACT TWO: There are NOT 4,000 terrorists, streaming across the southern border. That is, quite simply, a lie. Chris Wallace, of FOX News, fact-checked this in real time with an administration member the other day. There *are* on average 4,000 total “persons of interest” (not terrorists) who enter the US by all methods….planes, trains, automobiles…etc… The WHOLE of the country…all methods of entry…and the vast majority, except for a tiny, statistically insignificant number, come via airplane.

Over the weekend, both the President and, more troubling, the Director of Homeland Security, LIED about this situation. They clearly lied about the 4,000 number, in the attempt to make it seem as if 4,000 terrorists were streaming across the southern border.

Again, they are not. This is a lie.

And it’s even more concerning to me that the Director of Homeland Security is lying about this.

If she’s willing to lie about this, why should we believe her if and when where is an actual emergency and she’s trying to get out actual information.

The vast majority of the “persons of interest” (they are not all terrorists, nor are a majority terrorists…) of them come through airports. Most of them are dealt with by TSA, not Border Patrol.

BTW, recall that TSA staff are not being paid right now, because of the government shut down.

FACT THREE: Mexico is not paying for the wall.
Not now. Not ever.
So, either a) it won’t be built, b) people falsely believe Mexico will pay back a $5 billion dollar loan, or c) the American taxpayer will pay for it.

Guess which is most likely? (Hint: Not “b”)

FACT FOUR: Children are STILL separated from their parents along our southern border. Go ahead, look it up. Even though the administration was ordered to shut down this process by the courts, there are still more than a thousand separated kids, just here in Texas. Some are being released to “sponsors” and not their parents. It’s a huge mess of our government’s own doing, and despite the fact that it was supposed to be over months ago, it’s still ongoing today.

So, these are the big lies that are continually fed to us by the President. And as I said, I feel led to call them out today, because I am convinced Trump is getting ready to declare a “state of emergency.” I’m pretty clear he’s been told by all his advisors that he won’t win funding for the wall. He’s backed himself into a corner. He hates to “lose,” even though in this case “losing” would simply be the act of governing under normal checks and balances.

So, instead of governing under our system, he’ll create this false “emergency” built on a wall of lies.

Do you know what is NOT a lie?

The word of God is not a lie.

And the word of God is very clear on immigration.

God’s holy people are called, Christians are called, to treat the foreigner and the immigrant the same as the native born.

“Because you were once an immigrant.”

That is a truth that repeats, over and over, in the Bible. The Bible is very clear, and it is a lie to claim that the Biblical witness is anything different from this.

I was arrested at the White House, defending the rights of immigrants. I have pictures on my wall, here in the study, to remind me of that moment. I’m thinking we are very close to the time where civil disobedience may be called for again on this issue. If Trump declares an emergency to build a wall, that might very well be the moment.

We need to fix our immigrant system, no doubt. As I’ve written many times, politicians on all sides and over decades, have gotten us to where we are today, by not providing honest, fact-based fixes.

I know one thing very clearly: God’s truth is a call to love and treat the immigrant the same as the citizen.

Anything else is a wall of lies.

*Beyond the “crisis” that Trump himself has manufactured by separating families, sending the army, and generally promoting unnecessary hysteria.