Immigrant children's deaths 'fault of the Democrats': Trump

  Washington, Dec 30:US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the Democrats shall be blamed for the latest deaths of the two children over the execution of US immigration policy.

"Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally," he tweeted, reports Xinhua.

"They can't. If we had a Wall, they wouldn't even try! The two... children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol," he added. "Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end."

An 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died in government custody in the US state of New Mexico on early Tuesday, and a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl died earlier this month after being apprehended by border agents.

Trump on Friday has threatened to close the southern border, accusing Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador of "taking advantage" of his country for years.

He further complained that the opposition party shall take responsibility for the current partial shutdown of the US government.

Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi, tweeted on Thursday, "Democrats have offered Republicans three options to re-open government that all include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security", but not the president's wall.

The US Senate convened briefly on Thursday afternoon before adjourning until next week, with no signs of a deal to end the budget impasse that has shut down a quarter of the federal government.