President Trump blamed Democrats for the recent deaths of migrant children in Border Patrol custody, saying on Twitter Saturday that the immigration policies of the Democrats and their refusal to support a border wall encourage migrants to try to enter the U.S. illegally.

Screen image from December 25, 2018, during partial government shutdown over border wall funding.

“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. 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. The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadn’t given her water in days. Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit!”

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. They can’t. If we had a Wall, they wouldn’t even try! The two….. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2018

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…children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol. The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadn’t given her water in days. Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2018

A record number of migrant children are pouring over the Southern border this month, with a reported 24,000 just in the first three weeks of December. DHS reports many migrants, including children, are sick when caught. Two migrant children from Guatemala have died with flu-like symptoms in Border Patrol custody in December.

While caravan migrants have been stopped at the Tijuana, Mexico side of the border with California, other migrants are swarming the borders of New Mexico and Texas, overwhelming the ability of the federal government to handle and process them. The government has released thousands of migrants on the streets of cities like El Paso because of a lack of capacity to hold them.

Trump is in a showdown with Democrats over a budget demand of $5 billion for border security and wall construction which the Democrats are refusing. The federal government is partially shutdown as a result with negotiations set to continue next week when the Democrats take control of the House while Republicans retain control of the Senate with an increased majority comprised of fewer turncoat GOP senators.