Is building a wall along the United States Mexican border necessary to make America great again? According to Donald Trump, a wall is the solution to stopping undocumented immigrants from coming into our country. Donald Trump said, “when Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best, they’re bringing drugs and crime. There are in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, and rapists” (Date). Immigration has been a controversy since 1924 when Congress first passed the law restricting immigration. While most Americans focus only on the negative aspects of immigration, they fail to consider the many positive outcomes. Border walls have triggered many to voice their opinions on whether the wall would solve illegal immigration or if it would lead to a total disaster. Although border walls could be a solution to stop a humanitarian crisis from occurring, border walls should not be constructed along the United States/Mexican border because it could harm the region’s diverse wildlife, affect the symbol that America portrays; liberty, and the purpose is simply unnecessary.
Environmental Impact: Threat to Biodiversity
Building a wall threatens to harm the region’s diverse wildlife between the United States/Mexico Border. Biologists stated that a wall would “destroy thousands of acres of habitat and halt the cross-border migration of dozens of animal species” (“Border Wall a Disaster for Texas, Scientists Warn”). The United States has a high biodiversity due to the Rio Grande which provides food and a living environment for wildlife. The Center for Biological Diversity estimated about ninety-three plant and animal species that would become highly affected from this barrier (“Border Wall a Disaster for Texas, Scientists Warn”). Many animals are already endangered. For instance, the ocelots, a common known rabbit that lives around the Rio Grande, are becoming extinct day by day due to a loss of habitat. Another concern is animal migration. Animals need to migrate to find food, a better living environment, and most importantly to breed. Separating wildlife from reaching the other side of where the barrier would stand would cause many plant and animal species to experience such problems. Building a wall would end many ecosystems and block animals from being able to complete their migration process. Therefore, Donald Trump should not follow through with building a wall along the United States/Mexico border because it would endanger the region’s diverse wildlife.
Symbolism of the Wall: From Liberty to Domination
The United States/Mexico border wall is known for having a frontier that establishes freedom, peace and promises of modern life for the rest of the world to emulate. James Madison also believed in the United States being a symbol of protection and individual liberty (Grandin). After centuries this frontier would finally become a myth. President Donald Trump's idea of building a wall would enforce cruelty, domination and racism. His promise would become America’s new symbol/monument. Instead of peace there is endless war, and inequality that would portray this country as New York Times magazine explains (Grandin). The United States would be unseen as the American Dream that others see it as, which would eventually cause a decrease in a population/diverse economy. Maintaining a diverse economy is important for the United States because it gives a more cultural experience with other countries and regulates business/free-trade in the United States. Free-trade is a process in which companies receive goods from other countries, whether it is food or materials used on a daily basis. A wall would symbolize the opposite of what this country is known for and would become an issue for the rest of the world to emulate.
Ineffectiveness and Unintended Consequences
Donald Trump’s border wall is simply useless and ineffective. The cost to build a wall is sustainably high while immigration issues would only become minimum. An article issued by USA Today was stated that in the past decade, the population of undocumented immigrants has fallen from twelve million to eleven million (“Trump's Border Wall Will be Pointless and Ineffective”). Why provide a barrier to stop undocumented immigrants from coming into the country when the issue has minimized in the past few years. The United States/Mexico border is a hostile place and more effective than any man-made barrier (“Trump's Border Wall Will be Pointless and Ineffective”). Border patrol officials would contain more access to stop illegal trafficking and is less expensive. Which is indeed true, border patrol does what they can to protect the United States. Building a wall would only cause a harsh situation to handle for border officials. Border patrols in Ambos Nogales, a city only a few miles North, has stated how hiring officers with welding experience was necessary to repair holes done by smugglers (Politzer). Smugglers would also dig tunnels under the wall for the same purpose of transporting drugs and undocumented immigrants into the United States. A wall will not fix immigration nor drug problems that have happened in the United States. This barrier is simply unnecessary and should not be constructed.
Another reason the border wall would become useless and ineffective is that it would provide an easy back door into America for both terror groups and drug cartels. They would benefit off this barrier by smuggling in illegal weapons and drugs into the United States. Terror groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS are already known for taking millions of lives due to bombings. Why would we provide a wall that would benefit terror groups that could eventually cause harm for the United States? For instance, an event known as Nine-eleven where an islamic group hijacked four planes into the twin towers was a horrible tragedy that many people are afraid to experience once again. Simply because more than two-thousand people were murdered that day. Building a wall along the United States/Mexico border could provide terror groups easy access into America that could lead to another unexpected bombing like Nine-eleven. As for drug cartels, a barrier would increase their profits, strengthening criminal networks. In an article researchers stated that smugglers see the wall as a quaint distraction, because it has little practical application in a world where they harness the latest technology to move drugs and people into the United States (Driver). Drug cartels would benefit and use the wall as a distraction to import drugs not only into the United States but also into the youths hands. Donald Trump fails to realize how a barrier is useless and ineffective for this country.
Some people will say that building a wall along the United States/Mexico border is necessary because border patrol does not have full operational control for this country. Border patrol needs to know who and what is coming into this country to be able to protect it. The United States Homeland Security stated there is a humanitarian and national crisis at the United States/Mexico border that cannot be ignored (Nielsen). Drugs that have been smuggled are deadly and have killed thousands of people each year. People face a humanitarian catastrophe and receive new medical issues every day due to these unknown drugs. More than fifty cases have been reported over these medical issues (Nielsen).Border patrol has also stated how more than thirty percent of women have been reported sexually assaulted and seventy percent of all migrants reported violence, but that is not all (Nielsen).
Alternative Solutions and the True Essence of America
According to Donald Trump the main purpose of the border wall is to stop the flood of illegal immigrants from pouring into the country. Donald Trump tends to build a wall to keep out these undocumented immigrants because they are just a bunch of criminals. There are about four million immigration criminals roaming the United States and yet America does not do much about it as Trump stated in an article (Johnson). Congress also believes that a wall is what this country needs and Democrats know it. Border security has become an issue and people do not notice it. Despite all the facts provided, a wall along the United States/Mexico border would not be a great solution for the United States. There are many other ways to illegal trafficking in the United States. A prime example would be deportation. Deporting illegal immigrants would have a bigger impact on the United States rather than building a wall. People have stated actions speak louder than walls simply because a wall is just an unnecessary tool (Johnson). The wall would only indicate a symbol of racism and only people who are racist, heartless and ignorant towards political purposes support this action. A wall is not the route the President of the United States should be taking. Instead, the President should be finding better ways to fix these problems he believes we are facing.
Conclusion: Rethinking the Wall
Making America great again does not require a wall between the United States/Mexico border. Ever since Donald Trump made a promise in 2015 that stated how a wall is indeed needed in order to fulfill America’s needs; has certainly weakened. America does not need a wall to resolve situations such as undocumented immigrants, drug cartels and criminals. A wall would only cause harm to the region's diverse wildlife, affect the symbol that America portrays; liberty, and the purpose is simply unnecessary. While it is true that a wall could stop humanitarian crisis from occurring, it could also damage America’s frontier. A wall is not a solution, it is a barrier that would lead this country into a total disaster.
Works Cited
'Border Wall a Disaster for Texas, Scientists Warn.' Environment News Service, 02 Apr 2018. sirsissuesresearcher, http://kidd.blinn.edu:2048/login?url= https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2258145980?accountid=7015.
Date, Ian SchwartzOn. “Trump: Mexico Not Sending Us Their Best; Criminals, Drug Dealers And Rapists Are Crossing Border.” RealClearPolitics, https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/06/16/trump_mexico_not_sending_us_their_best_criminals_drug_dealers_and_rapists_are_crossing_border.html.
Driver, Alice. 'Trump's Mexico Wall would be a Gift to the Drug Cartels.' CNN Wire Service, 08 Jan 2018. sirsissuesresearcher, http://kidd.blinn.edu:2048/login?url= https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265384035?accountid=7015
Grandin, Greg. 'The Insidious Myth of the Border Wall.' New York Times, 21 Feb 2019. sirsissuesresearcher, http://kidd.blinn.edu:2048/login?url= https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2266168908?accountid=7015.
Johnson, Mac. 'The U.S. Government Must Get Serious About Deporting Those Who Are Here Illegally.' Illegal Immigration, edited by Debra A. Miller, Greenhaven Press, 2007. Current Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://kidd.blinn.edu:4425/apps/doc/EJ3010499229/OVIC?u=txshracd2489&sid=OVIC&xid=8892be1a. Accessed 21 Oct. 2019. Originally published as 'Immigration Reform Will Fail Without Deportation,' Human Events, 8 May 2006.
Nielsen, Kirstjen. 'Opposing View: We Face a Humanitarian and Security Crisis.' USA TODAY, 10 Jan 2019. sirsissuesresearcher, http://kidd.blinn.edu:2048/login?url= https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2264363928?accountid=7015.
Politzer, Malia. ''it's our Job to Stop that Dream'.' Reason, 04 2007. sirsissuesresearcher, http://kidd.blinn.edu:2048/login?url= https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2263235915?accountid=7015.
'Trump's Border Wall Will be Pointless and Ineffective.' USA TODAY, 10 Oct 2017. sirsissuesresearcher, http://kidd.blinn.edu:2048/login?url= https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2264357207?accountid=7015.