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Could the Wall Between Mexico and United States Stop Illegal Immigration?

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Introduction We must begin this article by stating that a fence between neighbors is in general an ugly and hideous item. In many cases a fence may convey a lack of trust, especially to the neighbors facing the fence. Nevertheless, we all at some point have build a fence around our property. In fact our local city or county government has erected fences around their buildings and in some cases around public parks and other public facilities. The function of a fence is precisely to separate, to divide and to keep unwanted people on the outside of the fence. From the inside of Mexico, the wall Mr. Trump proposes is an insult. From within the United States, the argument is that the wall is needed to stop the influx of undocumented migrants, illegal passing of men, women and children from Mexico without a visa or permit to enter the US. In addition to this, the crossing of drugs coming all the way from South America, Mexico and perhaps other drug producing nations. These drugs are sold and controlled throughout the nation by international drug cartels destroying American youth, creating social havoc and inciting violence. In the United States many supporters of Mr. Trump, approve the construction of the wall as proposed by Mr. Trump. Others, support a better and strict control of the US-Mexico border for the same reasons but may not see the wall as the solution to the problem. Important to mention is the fact that the illegal incoming of Mexican citizens has decreased in the last years, however, the traffic of undocumented migrants from Central America, Africa and the Middle East has increase enormously in the last years. Without a doubt, the main source of migration to the US, are the thousands of migrants that find a free access to Mexico at the Guatemala-Mexico border. The borderline at the south end of Mexico is totally an opened border. Thousands of people cross the Suchiate River every single day. The majority of them cross into Mexico with one single objective: to reach the USA. Mexico’s south border is one of the most complex borders to control. That is a real fact. The geography does not help at all. The forest and the terrain makes impossible to fully control and stop the illegal crossing of undocumented migrants and drugs. However, the majority of the crossings are at points subject to a strict control. The problem Mexico faces at its southern border in not in any way an easy problem to tackle, but again, the number of illegal migrants could be substantially reduced. This action will carry benefits to all Mexican citizens and naturally it will benefit Mexico as a nation. The Usumacinta River. Why the Mexican authorities keep allowing this unrestricted migration of undocumented people to Mexico? Why the present Mexican president, Mr. Peña Nieto and his predecessors have not stop this terrible situation that affects every Mexican citizen in the southeast part of Mexico? Having an open border the way these pictures depict in the south border of Mexico with Guatemala, demerits the standard of living of all Mexican citizens in the region. The phenomena, drains the Mexican government system as services need to be offer to the undocumented, there is an increase of human trafficking, abuse, corruption and lost of life. From all points of view, the situation is a complete disaster for Mexico and for all Mexican citizens. Again, why the Mexican authorities beginning with the president Mr. Peña Nieto, do not control their own border for the benefit of their own nation? That is the question. Mr. Trump’s proposal of a wall between Mexico and USA is nothing new; a wall is already there. Take a look at the following pictures. Is this already insulting to Mexico and to Mexicans or Mr. Trump’s wall adds more to the insult? The only new in this equation is the rhetoric used by Mr. Trump giving to his unconditional supporters a nationalistic message: America first. From the inside of Mexico, the posture Mr. Trump has displayed, not only with the issue of the wall, but with the issue of the air conditioning manufacturer Carrier and with the issue of Ford Motors Company stopping a plant installation in San Luis Potosi, is in a way an insult. From inside Mexico, Mr. Trump is seen as an enemy of the Mexican people, from the inside of the United Stated, some have seen Mr. Trump as a nationalist, others are in fear and some others dislike him. The issue is not who is going to pay for the wall between Mexico and United States. Naturally both countries are going to pay for it. In fact, both countries are already paying for the actual wall already. What we have seen is a passionate debate one on both sides. The root of all this war of opinions and political stands was originated by the rhetoric used by Mr. Donald Trump during his presidential campaign and in fact, every time he has an opportunity keeps with the same rhetoric on the subject. Border Facts There is a wall already build between Mexico and the United States along the border near important population centers, towns and cities.  There are segments of a wall along the Border States: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. There are a total of 1,954 miles (3,145 kilometers) of border between the United States and Mexico from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. In some places, a sign or a fence marks the border. In other places, the border is reinforced with barbed wire or tall steel barriers. Building a wall as described by Mr. Trump, offers a number of concerns. The obstacles are many, some of the central elements of concern are:  • Environmental damage, • Crossing through Indian reservation areas, • The Cost of the wall could be in the billion of dollars and • The time, perhaps in years that will take to finish the construction of the wall. In addition to these items, the question of homes that the wall slices through. There are several ideas proposed around the actual construction of the wall that Mr. Trump visualized. According to his ideas, the wall may be double, steel made with deep foundations to prevent digging of tunnels and approximately of thirty feet in height. The following is a rather simplistic calculation to visualize the cost and the time needed to build such a wall. Total length of the Wall 1933 miles - Double wall with a separation of a given space Height from foundation to top: 55 feet (30 feet elevation from ground 25 feet foundation or depth) Thickness 16 inches each panel. Two panels needed to produce the double wall. The wall will be made of segments of a given length depending the terrain. For the purpose of this calculation, each segment has 20 feet. There will be one column at both sides of the segment to secure the concrete modules and produce a very strong wall. 1933 miles to feet = 10,206,240 feet 10,206,240 / 20 (feet per segment) = 510312 columns for one side. Double wall. Total number of column to build is: 1,020,624 They need at least 11 concrete modules for the 55 feet of height from foundation to the top of the wall. Since the wall is double, they will need 22 concrete modules to build one segment of the wall. Total number of columns 1,020,624 Total number of concrete modules 22 times 510312 (wall segments) = 11,226,864 Please imagine the time, labor, materials, logistics and cost of this monumental wall! It could take years to build! After construction completed, the main question is this: Could the wall between Mexico and USA stop illegal immigration and the trafficking of drugs? We all living in the United States hope it will. Many Mexican citizens would hope that the wall will represent a deterrent to the masses of illegal migrants crossing Mexico from border to border lowering the standard or living of all Mexican citizens and that the influx of migrants if not totally stopped, will be reduced. In reality, for a short period of time, the results could be precisely the ones we all hope and want. However, the construction of this formidable barrier may instigate and produce new business avenues for the organize crime, the coyotes and drug cartels will see this barrier as a new income avenue, as a new opportunity and a new challenge to conquer. They could simply set a higher price tag compare to today’s price tag for a border crossing into the USA. Asking questions throughout Houston, Matamoros, Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo and other cities and points of border crossing, the prices for the service of a coyote fluctuates from $500 to $5,000-8,000 USD depending the point of origin of the person to be transported into the United States. The new wall has the same weak points that the actual wall has: It can be broken or disassembled, It can be jumped, And, one can fly over it. New services may include a short flight in helicopter to pass over the wall for an additional sum. If the Trump Administration engages in the actual construction of this gigantic project, and it fails for the reasons listed above, we could be in the position of looking at a gigantic fiasco, one with a tag price running in the billions of dollars. Could it be possible that in reality Trump’s wall will be the cause of his administration to tumble?