President Trump has insisted on building a border wall.
Will the President of Mexico, Peña Nieto, counter with a tunnel?
Currently the U.S has a fence that was put up in 2006 by former President George W. Bush, it was signed in as the Secure Fence Act of 2006. The estimated cost of the fence is 1.2 billion dollars. Initial reports indicated the fence helped keep illegal immigrants out, with the Border Patrol reporting the illegal crossings were down 18%. However, a report by the Congressional Research service found a “strong indication” that illegal crossings were down because people simply found new routes.
One of the bolster’s of Trump’s campaign was his promise to build a wall at the Mexican border. Not just any wall, a wall funded by Mexico. According to Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, the wall would cost $12-15 billion. President Peña Nieto has said in no uncertain terms Mexico will not, under any circumstances, pay for a border wall. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader was quoted as saying “President Trump’s insistence that Mexico will pay for the wall has once again just been proven as a delusional fiction by the Mexican President. The wall is a multi billion dollar boondoggle in the making, and Republicans should be embarrassed about their brazen hypocrisy in enabling it.”
President Trump has suggested to somehow intercept the money migrant workers earn to send home to their families, and putting that money to fund the wall. California alone counts on about 2 million migrant workers per year to come here and work our farms. The majority of migrant workers are young Mexican men in their twenties and thirties. The men come here with strong agricultural skills and work ethic. They are working on our farms and sending money home in hopes of being able to secure a prosperous future for their families. Migrant workers give up their families, friends, and customs to pave a better life for themselves and their loved ones. These men are stuck on farms for months due to the lack of transportation and lack of legal status. They are sacrificing so much.
Peña Nieto, has his own plan to protect the rights of the migrant workers. He ordered government agencies to step up protection for immigrants. He added 50 Mexican consulates in the US which will be used to defend the rights of immigrants in the country, and he issued a call to action to legislators and civic organizations to help immigrants.
Beyond the wall, Trump signed an executive order that cuts funds from sanctuary cities. Trump stated that sanctuary cities that do not comply “are not eligible to receive Federal grants, except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes.” Sanctuary cities are cities that refuse deportation programs; the cops in sanctuary cities do not cooperate with immigration. Sanctuary cities do not turn immigrants over to federal authorities for deportation. Despite threats, the sanctuary cities are refusing Trump’s immigration order.
It is important for U.S and Mexico to keep lines of communication open and to cultivate a relationship. A Mexican diplomat made a valid point in saying, “there are a lot of stereotypes of Mexicans in the US, but there are also stereotypes of Americans in Mexico. It is in the best interest of both governments to explain what this relationship is and what we can do together.”
