Trump has been doubling down on his call for a wall--now fifteen feet high--to protect the US from illegal aliens. He also has demanded the Mexicans pay for it.
As you know from reading this blog, our problem with illegal entry is actually improving. And in the case of Mexicans themselves, more might be heading back to Mexico than are coming in.
Personally, I doubt Trump is serious about his great wall idea. This is typical rhetoric for him. He starts out with an extreme position, and like the deal maker he is, he walks back to something more acceptable.
Such a wall would be impossible, of course, and will never happen. We have 45 official points of entry on our southern border with Mexico. These range from big bridges and highways to, in one case, a hand-pulled ferry in Los Ebanos, Texas. (I've seen it. This must be one of the poorest communities in the US.) Improving security at these entry points is an ongoing matter. Border security actually extends miles inland.
Hardly perfect, but the border has been more of a security priority since 9/11.
Ex-Mexican presidents took the bait and reacted predictably to Trump's proclamations, likening him to Hitler. Certainly Trump has been most discourteous. Also it isn't fun to be reminded by your northern neighbor that millions of Mexicans have had to flee north just to make an adequate living.
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| The ferry at Los Ebanos, TX |
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