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The Mexican Border Wall Argumentative Essay
Each country reserves the right to decide who walks through its borders. This idea is the most basic component principle of a nation’s sovereignty and should be supported by any side of the political spectrum. A border wall will not end illegal immigration, but it will be a significant deterrent. It is unfair to say Americans commit more crime, and the border wall will not reduce it. One does not follow the other. Substantially many people die in car and plane accidents, but there is no advocacy to ensure air and road safety.
It will be non-patriotic to advocate for an open border where immigrants that promote violence against Americans, or who possess criminal histories can freely roam around and stroll into the country. Democrats especially have presented proposals for the security of the border in hushed voices that make this side of the American political sphere as blindly objecting of any form of security at the Mexican border.
Those that oppose the wall do it as a reaction to President Trump rather than an honest opinion on the need for security and the aspiration to maintain a uniquely diverse mosaic of cultures that is the heart of the American experience (Easter, Jeffrey, et al.). Although the majority of the immigrants do not pose a threat to security, the ones who do are ticking time bomb. At one point, an immigrant will use American laws that allow easy access to firearms. When this happens, Republicans will be presented with a political catnip putting Democrats and their opinion against the wall at a disadvantage.
However, all these arguments do not outweigh those against the border wall. No matter how tall and secure the wall will be, illicit goods will still find a way in. Undocumented immigrants and drugs will still find a way into the country no matter the barrier that is put in place. For the issue of illegal immigrants, the Mexican border wall will not be applicable to those that outstay their visas – a group that has significantly outnumbered those undocumented immigrants from the U.S. Mexican border.
The Mexican – U.S. border and, more broadly, the relations between the United States and Mexico, directly impacts more than 12 million Americans who live within 100 miles of the border (Meneses, Alejandro, & Hector). In many and very essential ways, there has been no understanding of how this wall affects communities in the United States as much as Mexico.
It is not easy to understand why the nation would spend billions of dollars, $15 to $25 billion to be precise, on the wall considering the government already spends a lot on the current security at the border (Nail). There are more than 20,000 border patrol officers, with physical borders, advanced technology, aerial surveillance along the 1,954 miles Mexican border. What has not been brought to the attention of people is that approximately 1,350 miles of fencing are already in place, including the border fence, secondary fencing, tertiary layers, and pedestrian fencing all in place for the prevention of illegal crossings.
The estimates for this construction will vary widely because of the lack of a clear estimate of who much the project will cost. There is no specification as to whether this wall will be a concrete wall or a see-through structure with the height going beyond 18 feet with a 6 feet foundation that will not prevent tunneling. All these descriptions will not cover the private land that the government will use, which will definitely call for compensation in addition to legal settlements.
The ecosystem at the border is very delicate, and the activities of the Department of Homeland Security in regard to the border wall implies no respect for environmental laws. The border is a habitat for the rarest and endangered species on the planet, such as the Mexican gray wolf, the jaguar, and the Sonoran Pronghorn. Interfering with it will result in disorientation and human interaction, which is not ideal for animal populations. Also, the wall will block natural floods and impede the flow of rivers in this area, especially the majestic Rio Grande River.
The wall will not end smuggling because smugglers have been using tunnels since the method was pioneered in 1989. The sophistication of these methods has also grown over time. There are other methods, such as drones, catapults, and joint drainage systems shared by border towns. There are also tubes where immigrants crawl, and drugs get pulled through. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has reported that the various drugs, marijuana, cocaine, and heroine get into the country through 52 legal entry points. Traffickers have created sophisticated compartments in the cars and trucks processed at ports, fooling the port officials and security personnel.
Works Cited
Easter, Jeffrey, et al. “The US-MEXICO BORDER WALL-A SENTIMENT ANALYSIS.” Issues in Information Systems 20.4 (2019): 123-129.
Meneses, Maria-Elena, Alejandro Martin-del-Campo, and Hector Rueda-Zarate. “# TrumpenMexico. Transnational connective action on Twitter and the border wall dispute.” Comunicar. Media Education Research Journal 26.1 (2018).
Nail, Thomas. “The Crossroads of Power: Michel Foucault and the U.S./Mexico Border Wall.” Foucault Studies (2013): 110-128.
