San Diego Resident Tale of Why Trump Wall on Mexico Border

Фото: Depositphotos

One of the first steps taken by Donald Trump after the inauguration was signing decree on the protection of the state border. This document prescribes the construction of a wall on the border with Mexico within a few months. Fencing off a neighboring state was one of Trump's key campaign promises. The implementation of this plan has already caused a conflict in relations with Mexico City and is likely to provoke a lot of problems.

About what is happening on the US-Mexican border, told “Lenta.ru report»San Diego resident.

The new migration policy of the White House will primarily affect the residents of settlements located on the border with Mexico. One of these cities - California San Diego, actually forming a single metropolis with the Mexican city of Tijuana. Renting housing to the south of the border is cheaper in 2 than in the States, so many Mexicans who work in the US during the day return to their homeland in the evenings. But it also happens the other way around: some rich Mexicans do business in Tijuana, while they themselves live in San Diego with their families.

Фото: Depositphotos

The problem of illegal immigrants in San Diego in the most unexpected places. For example, on the freeway, unusual road signs periodically come across: a man and a woman hold the hands of a child and run across a highway. This means that here the Mexican illegal immigrants, fleeing from the border guards, may suddenly run out directly under the wheels.

In the immediate vicinity of the border there are many national parks, but it is recommended to walk in them with caution. There are posters at the entrance: “You are in a zone of illegal migration and drug trafficking. Be carefull!". However, there were no real cases of illegal immigrants or smugglers attacking American inhabitants, but people are reinsured just in case.

Stones and Molotov Cocktails

Until 11 September, 2001, the US Mexican border was almost unguarded, and thousands of illegal immigrants daily, in search of a better life, freely entered America. After the terrorist attacks, Washington sharply increased the protection of the southern frontier, and in 2007, the George W. Bush administration began building the 6-meter fence, called the Great American Wall, on the border between the two countries. To date, the project is implemented by a third. The length of the fence is 1000 kilometers, which allows it to be considered one of the longest structures ever erected by humans.

In 2010, President Barack Obama suspended the construction of the wall due to budget constraints, but did not stop the fight against illegal migration. The number of border guards at the turn with Mexico under Obama increased by 14%. Today, more than 17,6 thousands of 20,5 thousands of US border guards serve on the Mexican-American border - almost twice as many as before the September 11 attacks.

Фото: Depositphotos

As a result of these measures, the San-Diego Tribune newspaper claims, the flow of illegal immigrants from Mexico has decreased by a factor of 4. But it is not possible to completely block the border. There is no certainty that illegal immigrants will no longer penetrate the United States, even if the Great American Wall is completed.

In the vicinity of San Diego, smugglers climb over the fence using wire ladders. Another way to enter the United States is through holes in the fence, which a team of illegal immigrants armed with an ax and a chainsaw can do in just 2 seconds. So, in 30, only in the San Diego area, border guards had to patch up more 2016 of such “passages”, and repairing the fence was often thrown stones and even “Molotov cocktails” from the Mexican side. Last year, 500 such incidents were recorded.

“Until the wall is completed and tested in practice, we cannot confidently assert that this structure is efficient,” said Everard Meade, director of the Trans-Border Institute of San Diego University.

"Angels of the border"

After enhancing border security, it became much more dangerous to make our way to the USA. To avoid meeting with the border guards, illegal immigrants go through the desert, trying to keep away from the settlements. Almost every week in the San Diego newspapers you can read about the Mexicans who died on this route from dehydration and heat stroke. The International Organization for Migration estimates that from 2000 to 2014 more than 6, thousands of people died trying to illegally get from Mexico to the United States.

The situation is so serious that the organization “Angels of the frontiers” was created in San Diego to assist illegal immigrants. Its members expose water canisters and boxes of food and clothing in remote border areas. “What we do is not a policy, but an ordinary manifestation of humanity. Well, we don’t want men, women and children to die of thirst and heatstroke! ”, Says the leader of the organization Enrico Morones. According to him, after the victory of Trump, the number of people willing to donate money to his organization and who are ready to become volunteers has increased dramatically.

Some residents of border areas put water canisters on the doorstep of their homes. As farmer John, whose ranch is half a mile from the fence, explained, this way you can not only help exhausted travelers, but also protect yourself from harm: having received water, an illegal person will not climb into her house.

Next to the "country of dreams"

What makes the Mexicans, despite all the risks, try to illegally enter the US? The answer to this question becomes clear, one has only to go from San Diego to Tijuana. Overnight from a developed country you find yourself in a typical third world state: dilapidated houses, broken pavements, beggars in the streets.

A native of Mexico for a month can earn in the States almost 10 times more than at home. For the sake of money, people are willing to take risks and overcome any difficulties. Today, one of the most prestigious professions in the Mexican border area is coyote. So here they call the conductors who conduct illegal immigrants across the border.

It would be a mistake to think that only Mexicans dream of getting into the US. For example, in Tijuana, thousands of tents and shelters made of cardboard boxes are located directly near the border fence. Even the police are not at risk of being thrown into these slums unless absolutely necessary. Here live immigrants from almost all the poor countries of Latin America. Once they came to Tijuana hoping to get to the USA, but they did not have enough money to pay for the services of guides.

Usually, Hispanics arrive in Guatemala, where people with any citizenship are allowed, and from there they reach the coveted American border across Mexico.

“I didn’t have a Mexican visa, so I decided to get to Tijuana through Mexico illegally,” says Guatemalan Juan. — Two more went with me: a Nicaraguan and a Salvadoran. The Mexico-Guatemala border is not guarded, but in Mexico itself the police are hunting for illegal immigrants. It’s important to wash regularly so that you don’t stink: cops on buses identify illegal immigrants by smell. The second danger is Mexican bandits who often rob people like us. We were lucky: in just a week we got to Tijuana by bus. True, we did get caught by the police once, but for a $1 bribe we were released on all four sides. In Tijuana, there is no need to hide - there are so many illegal immigrants here that no one catches them. Now the main thing for me is to find a reliable “coyote.”

Price issue

The construction of the wall should begin soon. However, it is not yet clear how much this project will cost (according to various estimates, the “Great American Wall” needs from $ 8 to $ 20 billion) and who will pay for its implementation. Trump promised that he would force Mexico to allocate money to build a fence, but the Mexican leader Enrique Peña Nieto refused to do so.

Now we are talking about the fact that construction will be paid from the US budget, and Mexico will then be forced in one way or another to reimburse expenses. According to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Congress is ready to allocate from $ 12 to $ 15 billion to build the wall. Given the fact that Republicans in general share Trump's desire to tighten control on the Mexican border, most likely these funds will indeed be found.

Regarding options to make Mexico pay, Trump has some options for this. For example, he said that money can be raised by raising taxes on transfers sent by migrant workers from the States to their homeland, and raising the cost of visas for Mexicans. Planned and increased duties on goods manufactured in Mexico and exported to the United States.

World Salad

Even if we assume that the wall will be built and will become a reliable barrier against migration from the South, this victory may turn out to be pyrrhic.

Not far from San Diego is the Imperial Valley - one of the largest agricultural areas in the United States, often called the "salad bowl of the western hemisphere." Explaining here in English is almost impossible: almost all agricultural workers are illegal immigrants from Mexico.

“I'm a Mexican myself, but with a green card,” says Isabella, a San Diego gas station worker. - I am ready to do any work, but not in the field! This is too heavy and low paid work. Today in California, no one except illegal immigrants will agree to be an agricultural worker. ”

Another illegal niche is the work of the janitor, dishwasher and cleaner. In fact, this is similar to the situation with migrant workers from Central Asia in Russia, but the dependence of the Russian economy on migrants is much less than the border areas of the United States - from illegal immigrants from the South.

“Before we wall off Mexico with the Great Wall of America, we need to find an alternative to cheap illegal labor, otherwise the fight against immigration will lead to the collapse of the economies of the US border states,” said Jay Howard, a professor of political science at the University of San Diego.

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