BORDER/MEXICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey softened his stance on a possible U.S.-Mexico border closure after meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday [4-3-19], saying he would support Trump if he opted for a shutdown but hoped any closure would be ‘as short as possible.’ The Oval Office meeting came two days after Ducey had said he ‘of course’ did not want to see the border close. He’d pointed to Mexico’s status as ‘our No. 1 trading partner, times four’ and said he wanted ‘to see us continue to be able to trade,’ confirming that the White House was aware of his position…The governor indicated the president had not made a final decision regarding a border closure, despite multiple threats to do so over the last week. On Twitter and in conversations with reporters, Trump had repeatedly said Mexico needed to help block the recent swell of migrant families at the border or face the consequences…Apprehensions at the southern border had hit historic lows before the latest surge: Agents caught fewer than 400,000 migrants in 2018, versus the more than 1 million detained annually through the 1990s and 2000s. Projections for this year were not immediately available.”
–Maria Polletta, “Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says he would support border closure after meeting with Trump,” USA Today, April 4, 2019 7:43 am