Reuters News:  

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened again on Monday to shut down the federal government over his demands for a border wall and other changes in immigration policy, but said he remains open to talks with Congress on the issue.

“I always leave room for negotiation,” Trump said during a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House, adding that he has drawn no “red line” on the matter.

Congress must pass a spending bill by the end of September to avert a government shutdown, and Trump on Monday reiterated his demand that immigration reforms, including $25 billion for construction of a wall on U.S. border with Mexico, be included in any spending package. “If we don’t get border security, after many, many years of talk within the United States, I would have no problem doing a shutdown,” Trump said.

Beyond building a wall, the administration also wants to do away with so-called “chain migration” allowing relatives of immigrants to come to the country, and the diversity visa-lottery program, and to move toward what Trump calls a “merit-based” immigration system.

“I always leave room for negotiation,” Trump said during a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House, adding that he has drawn no “red line” on the matter.

Congress must pass a spending bill by the end of September to avert a government shutdown, and Trump on Monday reiterated his demand that immigration reforms, including $25 billion for construction of a wall on U.S. border with Mexico, be included in any spending package.

“If we don’t get border security, after many, many years of talk within the United States, I would have no problem doing a shutdown,” Trump said.

Beyond building a wall, the administration also wants to do away with so-called “chain migration” allowing relatives of immigrants to come to the country, and the diversity visa-lottery program, and to move toward what Trump calls a “merit-based” immigration system.