As U.S. presidential candidates continue to give tough rhetoric on immigration out on the campaign trail, Mexico has decided to be proactive in finding alternative solutions. One of the headlines of this presidential election has been Donald Trump emphatically proclaiming that we will build a wall along our southern border and Mexico will pay for it. Trump claims a 58 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico will pay for the wall.
This article explains a recent comment maid by the Mexican President’s chief of staff Francisco Guzmán. Guzmán states,”the Mexican government would use its system of consulates across the U.S. to publicize the benefits of the bilateral relationship to American businesses and the general public.” Mexico is doing this to try to improve diplomatic relations with its biggest ally and trade partner. Without American companies outsourcing manufacturing to Mexico, the Mexican economy would really be struggling. For this reason, the Mexican government wants more bridges built to increase trade even more between the two countries.
While I personally agree that we need to secure the border, I do not believe that Mexico has the money or obligation to pay for it. Since 1976, the United States has been running in a trade deficit so this in no way justifies Mexico building our wall. Mexico is one of our biggest trade allies. I support all legal trade and legal immigration with Mexico. That being said, illegal immigration is a problem that needs to be solved because it is a threat to our national security. I believe that a wall is the most effective way to curb illegal immigrants from crossing the border. As a taxpayer, I would be willing to pay for it. Would you?
http://www.wsj.com/articles/mexico-to-promote-strong-ties-to-u-s-1456866924
I think that building a wall is not the best solution to the current situation. Like you said we do a lot of trading with Mexico and I think the wall would be detrimental to that, which would negatively affect both Economies. I also agree that it shouldn’t be Mexico’s responsibility to build the wall.
Thanks for the great post!
I agree with morleyanika; trade between both countries would suffer if a wall were to be built. Although national security is of course a concern, I believe that the economic and political consequences of constructing a wall along the boarder would be negative, and that political relations between the U.S. and Mexico would be severely strained as a result. Additionally, as building a wall and restricting trade with Mexico would damage the Mexican economy. It could be argued that a weaker Mexican economy would be a national security threat to the U.S., as struggling Mexican workers could be resentful to the U.S. for such an action, become involved in drug cartels or other illicit activities to support themselves and their families, etc.
This is a very complicated situation. It is hard for me to think building a wall would simply cure all the issues along the southern boarder. Honestly if immigrants are desperate enough to get to America they will find a way around the barrier. And I agree with the other comments, the wall would not only be hindering illegal immigration but it would be hindering our collaborative trade efforts with Mexico. I think the Mexican-American history is deep and close nit and I don’t see a benefit to cutting those ties. I will agree something needs to be done about the illegal immigrant situation because there are many causes from these actions that are affecting our country rather negatively. I can not propose a solution but I can say I don’t think a wall will be the most effective for the future countries.
The Mexican President’s Chief of Staff definitely got this one right. Trade is the most important thing to keep both our countries’ economies growing. A president like Trump with isolationist tendencies (get rid of the Trans-Pacific-Partnership??) will hurt the American economy which will influence the markets of nations throughout the world.
I hope that my taxes don’t go towards building a wall, isolating, as others have said, an ally in trade. We need Mexican support. If we want to do anything successful about the immigration problem, we must work hand in hand with Mexican leaders. Do we want to be, yet again, the country that leaves our proclaimed allies out in the cold, festering anger towards us? I don’t believe the wall would be effective and I don’t believe we can retroactively punish the Mexicans by making them pay for a construction of such a wall when, as they pointed out, Mexican immigrants have greatly benefited our economy.