“Closing the Border” Is a Terrible Idea

President Trumpreiterated his threat Saturday to “close the border” or “large sections of it” next week. To put it mildly, “closing the border” is a terrible idea. The president cannot close the border to illegal immigration. What he can do—and is already doing—is slow the flow of legal crossings.Mexico is America ’s2nd largest export market and 3rd largest total trading partner.U.S. border crossings with Mexico handle ahalf a trillion dollars in trade each year. Nearly half enters through Texas wheretwo thirds of illegal border crossings have occurred this year.Each year, U.S.-Mexico border crossings permit the entry of more than190 million people and 6.3 million commercial trucks.Nearly 5 million American jobsdepend on U.S.-Mexico trade.Mexico exports to the United States$26 billion in intermediate goods (components of final products), meaning that closing the border would be like building a wall in the middle of a factory floor.Even a temporary slowdown would have significant effects:The temporary closure of the San Ysidro port in California last year —in order to tear gas migrants trying to cross—cost businesses $5.3 million.During that shutdown, traffic diverted to the Otay Mesa port resulting in5 hour waits there.Normal lengthy waits to cross into the U.S.resulted in lost output of $6 billion in 2009 in California alone.Other presidents have intentionally slowed traffic at ports of entry, but none since the implementation of NAFTA in the 1990s. Eve...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs