[1][2] Trump used the speech to push for Congress to fund the construction of a larger barrier or wall at the border with Mexico, in order to fulfill a key promise of his campaign.
Trump's refusal to sign a continuing resolution to keep the federal government open in the absence of funding for the wall had led to the shutdown.
He cited statistics he claimed were caused by illegal immigration to the United States, such as the opioid epidemic: “Every week, 300 of our citizens are killed by heroin alone, 90 percent of which floods across our southern border”, and high crime rates among illegal immigrants: “In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records,” Trump also said that "Senator Chuck Schumer, who you will be hearing from later tonight, has repeatedly supported a physical barrier in the past, along with other Democrats."
and: "America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants who enrich our society and contribute to our nation, but all Americans are hurt by uncontrolled illegal migration.
They also wrote that his claim that, “Every day, Customs and Border Patrol agents encounter thousands of illegal immigrants trying to enter our country,” was "misleading".
"[10] The New York Times has determined Schumer's statement that "[no] president should pound the table and demand he gets his way or else the government shuts down, hurting millions of Americans who are treated as leverage."
[5][12] The speech was carried live by the major over-the-air and cable news networks in the U.S.,[11] eliciting criticism that the media was giving the president a free platform to possibly make "inflammatory or misleading statements".
[6][13] Critics compared the favorable treatment of Trump by the media to the refusal of networks to air a November 2014 speech on immigration by President Barack Obama for being "too political".
[13][14][15] Prior to the speech, Joe Lockhart, Daniel Pfeiffer, Jay Rosen, and Connie Schultz, among others,[12] advocated for media to fact check Trump's comments.
[16][6] Mika Brzezinski said networks "should refuse to turn over the airwaves to Donald Trump tonight for what they know objectively to be a steady stream of lies".
In the last two years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 violent killings.
My administration has presented Congress with a detailed proposal to secure the border and stop the criminal gangs, drug smugglers, and human traffickers.
We have requested more agents, immigration judges, and bed space to process the sharp rise in unlawful migration fueled by our very strong economy.
Furthermore, we have asked Congress to close border security loopholes so that illegal immigrant children can be safely and humanely returned back home.
America’s heart broke the day after Christmas when a young police officer in California was savagely murdered in cold blood by an illegal alien, who just came across the border.
In California, an Air Force veteran was raped, murdered, and beaten to death with a hammer by an illegal alien with a long criminal history.
In Maryland, MS-13 gang members who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors were arrested and charged last year after viciously stabbing and beating a 16-year-old girl.
To those who refuse to compromise in the name of border security, I would ask: Imagine if it was your child, your husband, or your wife whose life was so cruelly shattered and totally broken?
A Trump Pence campaign fundraising email titled “Official Secure the Border Fund” was distributed prior to the speech and asked supporters to donate.
I want to know who stood with me when it mattered most so I’ve asked my team to send me a list of EVERY AMERICAN PATRIOT who donates to the Official Secure the Border Fund,” stated the Trump-signed memo.