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On Friday, President Donald Trump tweeted that some or all of the U.S. border with Mexico this week 鈥淸i]f Mexico doesn鈥檛 immediately stop ALL illegal immigration.鈥� There are over 40 U.S.-Mexico border crossings and more than 300 ports of entry, and experts predict their closure more than $1.7 billion worth of commerce every day. Areas along the U.S.-Mexico border would experience the most direct impact, but ripple effects could spread beyond the region.
It鈥檚 unclear whether Trump will follow through on his threat, but Laredo Mayor 鈥� who鈥檚 also chairman-elect of the Texas Border Coalition, a collective of border mayors, county judges and more who advocate for border communities at the Texas Legislature 鈥� is preparing in case it happens. He鈥檚 also speaking out against closing the border.
鈥淲e gotta stay away from that rhetoric of closing the border. There鈥檚 no declaration of war, the imminent danger we don鈥檛 see,鈥� Saenz says. 鈥淥bviously, we do have issues and we agree with the president, but I think 鈥� the solution lies with Congress and, of course, our president as well.鈥�
He says changing asylum and immigration laws would be a better solution.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 really where the root is,鈥� Saenz says.
He says Congress needs to address the shortage of immigration judges in border regions, which could help process asylum claims more efficiently. But also, he says the law needs to reflect the growing number of families seeking asylum; the law only lets the government detain families for 20 days, which he says usually isn鈥檛 long enough to process a case. Lastly, Saenz says the U.S. needs to find a way to help the countries where the asylum-seekers are coming from 鈥� commonly the 鈥淣orthern Triangle鈥� countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
鈥淭hese folks may have every reason to leave their country,鈥� Saenz says. 鈥淏ut obviously, it鈥檚 creating issues here at the border, and then there鈥檚 reaction by President Trump, which is creating, also, all sorts of havoc.鈥�
Saenz says he believes some immigrants take advantage of U.S. asylum laws, and 鈥渁buse the system,鈥� which he says has led to the surge of asylum-seekers coming to the southern border. But those people are acting within their rights; they are legally allowed to cross the border, surrender themselves to the authorities and wait for their asylum case to be reviewed. Saenz says that鈥檚 why Congress should change asylum law.
鈥淐ongress hasn鈥檛 acted, neither for changes in the asylum law, nor comprehensive immigration reform, and that鈥檚 what we need. But they鈥檙e playing games and we鈥檝e had enough of that here at the border,鈥� Saenz says.
But Saenz doesn鈥檛 think closing the border will help. In fact, he says it would be 鈥渄evastating.鈥� The economic effect alone would be huge because Mexico is America鈥檚 No. 1 trading partner. Laredo, specifically, trades $230 billion worth of goods annually with Mexico, and about 15,000 trucks cross the border between Laredo and Mexico every day, Saenz says.
鈥淭his would create a national recession,鈥� Saenz says. 鈥淔or us here at the border, that鈥檇 be a depression, without a doubt.鈥�
He says some don鈥檛 realize the value of the close relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, especially at the border, and that the border should only close in extreme cases like a declaration of war.
In the meantime, Saenz says he and Laredoans are worried about Trump鈥檚 threat. That鈥檚 because the threat alone causes problems, regardless of whether the president follows through.
鈥淲ords do carry consequences and uncertainty,鈥� Saenz says. 鈥淭he mere fact that it鈥檚 mentioned, it creates all sorts of economic uncertainty here in the border.鈥�
Customs and Border Protection has temporarily moved Laredo-based officers to help in areas with an influx of asylum-seekers, like the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso. But that has created an officer shortage in Laredo, which Saenz says slows down movement across the border.
鈥淭hat means long waiting times, long processing times 鈥� it鈥檚 gonna create more cost, ultimately, for the consumer,鈥� Saenz says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so used to just-in-time deliveries, so all that is gonna have a negative ripple effect throughout the economic chain.鈥�
Written by Caroline Covington.
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