Opinions

Border shutdowns hurt people on both sides

It’s no secret that President Donald Trump’s views on immigration policies and border security has stirred some controversy. Ever since he took office two years ago, he has been promising to implement a border wall and insisting that  Mexico pays for it.

While many proponents of stricter border security are concerned about crime and drugs crossing into the United States and immigrants “stealing jobs,” that should be the least of their worries. The migrants from Central America are fleeing gang violence, poverty and political oppression — not bringing it.

Central American countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras rank among the most violent countries in the world and are home to one of the world’s largest and most dangerous gang, MS-13.

Trump has recently threatened to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border in order to stop the Central-American caravan from entering the U.S.

The caravan crisis in Tijuana was a cause for fear and concern because of the many negative impacts that a possible border shutdown can have for local businesses in Baja, California.

Tourist-friendly businesses can expect a decrease in their sales because of a possible shutdown.

A recent five-hour shutdown of the border near San Diego last month cost local businesses about $5.3 million in lost revenue, according to the Los Angeles Times. Occupancies at hotels from Tijuana and Ensenada have dropped as well as dentist and doctor visits from San Diego-area patients. Medical tourism has dropped 70 percent due to cancellations from would-be patients.

Not only is he hurting businesses in Baja, but families are being affected as well.

As somebody who can see both sides of the argument when it comes to border security and immigration issues, I understand Trump not wanting people to cross the border illegally, but it’s not worth shutting the border down and separating families to do so.

The Trump administration is separating parents and children from their families in order to deter migrants from arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to three former and current Homeland Security Department officials.

Under a 90-day pilot program, which has no current start date set according to Politico and borrows heavily from the Supreme Court “Flores Settlement” of 1997, parents seeking asylum will be able choose to either be detained with their children during the course of their immigration proceedings or send them to a shelter where they can be released to a sponsor. The children are allowed to be released from custody after 20 days while their parents stay behind bars if they choose for them to be separated.

So not only do migrants have to worry about escaping the problems of their country, but also about having their children taken away from them while they stay behind bars.

How can a person simply stand by as an immigrant mother from Guatemala attempt to flee a violent country with her children has them taken from her and not be sympathetic with the cruelty of the situation..

I could understand Trump not wanting to let people come into the U.S. unlawfully, but it shouldn’t come to parents being separated from their children or businesses losing money for it.

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