Trump has signed an executive order to build a wall between the US and Mexico. As we all know, the wall is the centerpiece of his plan to control the illegal immigration problem on our southern border. One estimate on the cost of the wall is 8 to 12 billion dollars. It should be noted that we dont know how effective the wall will be. It should ALSO be noted that Obama was able to successfully control the illegal immigration problem, without spending 8 to 12 billion dollars. He did so by: - increasing the number of border agents - increasing the use of technology to assist the border agents - increasing deportations of undocumented immigrants So, we have at least two approaches to combat the illegal immigration problem: 1 - The Trump approach (the brute force approach): a very expensive approach; that involves a massive physical barrier that could take MANY years to build, and we do NOT know how effective that barrier will be. 2 - The Obama approach (the efficient approach): a frugal approach; that involves no physical barriers; and that has been tested, and was found to be effective; and that can be fully implemented in a relatively short period of time. If we use the brute force approach, where will the money come from to pay for a massive wall? Trump has said that Mexico will pay for the wall ... SOONER OR LATER. Who will pay for the wall UNTIL Mexico pays up? WE WILL! And who will pay for the wall if Mexico NEVER pays up? WE WILL! And if WE pay for the wall, what will we sacrifice? Food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, consumer protection, food safety, clean air, clean water, scientific research, medical research, space exploration, infrastructure improvements? At this time, Id like to speculate on what is motivating Trump to use the brute force approach? I will now posit three possible motives: 1 - As we all know, Trump is a voracious consumer of fake news, and he is often influenced by alternative facts. As a result, he might ACTUALLY believe that the wall is the way to go. 2 - As we all know, Trump has a short attention span. Thus, sooner or later, hes going to get bored with the mundane duties of the presidency. With the wall, hell have an excuse to get away from the office. Hell go down to the border, and personally supervise the construction efforts. And, hell have rallies where he can brag about the wall, and hear the cheering crowds (as we all know, he LOVES to brag, and he LOVES the cheers). 3 - As we all know, Trump has an ego that needs to be constantly fed. We know that he puts his name on anything that will let him, in order to feed his ego. A wall that spans the southern border, with his name on it, would be the ultimate ego trip for him. That could feed his ego for a long time. Imagine that. Trump may be getting us deeper into debt, to give him an excuse to get out the office, and/or to feed his ego. (Thats speculation, of course.) What if we run-out of money before that massive wall is completed? Then what? Will we see a never mind moment? And will the semi-wall become known as Trumps folly? What would that do to his ego? And how would he handle it? Oh, I know ... blame it on the press.
We could save our country money by stop giving illegal criminals benefits, first. Also cuts down their incentive to want to invade our nation.
Illegal aliens flooded in during Obama. Between 2.5 and 3 million (that we can count) during Obama's regime. http://cis.org/2.5-Million-Join-Illegal-Population-under-Obama Obama's greatest legacy was to destroy the very fabric of the US.
Jesus...are you for real OP? Obama is just another word for illegal alien. Every illegal Obama could let in would be another vote for his party.
From your own link: "Combining this estimate with the 1.73 million immigrants CMS estimates arrived from 2009 to 2013 means that 2.52 million illegal immigrants settled in the United States from January 2009 to the middle of 2015 — the first six years and four months of the Obama administration. This is certainly a large flow. But it still a good deal less than the 4.16 million DHS estimated for the slightly longer period from 2000 to 2006". So, what was Bush's excuse? Or, rather, what's your excuse for the fact that illegal immigration steadily declined under Obama? If you didn't want anyone reading the facts in your link, why post it?
Most people don't realize this, but "catch and release" deportation numbers are a lie. The assumption is that those caught were "released" back into Mexico. That's not what happened. They were allowed, even given bus tickets and plane tickets, to go anywhere in the US on the condition they would show up for immigration hearings. And they were never seen again. Getting rid of 50% of illegal immigrants means a savings of almost $60 billion dollars a year. In one year we would have enough money to build two walls.
The OP's messiah, Obama, was a failure on immigration---excuse me----immigration good for America. Bush didn't have the luxury that Trump now has with the whole Congress in GOP hands. W. Bush was not the best---but all these are just estimates. There could be millions more illegals hidden across the vast reaches of the US. The best way to rid the US of them is to arrest/detain/deport when they break a law, or when they try to vote or grab federal benefits.
What Trump is doing is trying to fix the problem by taking the right steps in the right order. To deport without first fixing the leak won't work. So first things first, build the wall and defund the sanctuary cities. No one is going to search house to house for illegals. But when they come to the attention of our law enforcement because they run afoul of the law then they should be detained and turned over to ICE. If you are here illegally, bye bye, if your family in turrn is here illegally, bye bye. After the wall is up, border secure and criminal illegals are deported, then address the millions that are law abiding otherwise, but nonetheless illegal. They can fill paperwork out, and if they are contributing to society, not living off of the system then they can stay, otherwise bye bye.
I think war in home are better versus Mexico so he will build between Texas and Mexico 50 percent wall between the USA and Mexico. I likes this. No NAFTA are true facts so I want. I wants not war against Canada they are our friends in military in NATO too.
Only 4 or 6 billion dollar to build that wall. Then we can pay for taxreturns it is 80 or 100 billion dollar to pay for all the 1000 miles wall. Every year to stop illegals running over country.
There's an old military saying- "An obstacle not covered by fire is not an obstacle" meaning anybody could get through it if left unhindered. But Don's beefed-up Border patrol will hinder the bad hombres by keeping the wall/fence under constant surveillance. The wall/fence will therefore serve as a very useful delaying obstacle that gives the Patrol time to swoop. Anyway, sections of wall/fence already exist like this below so it's not a new idea, Don simply wants to plug the gaps where one doesn't exist..
Not for Clinton and Pence and Mi.Obama but black female I never want. I want Clinton or Warren or Pence next election are time for in the 2020.
A Border Patrol drone, these babies hi-tech optics can spot bad hombres day or night.. How about it amigo? "We don't need no steenkin drones!"
Yes, we could do a great deed by building a moat around the White House. At this point most of our ex allies would probably contribute.
Excellent. Fill it with typical rioting, looting, and arsonist minded leftists and Trump would be safe from all enemies. Nobody would dare to try and cross it.
Trumps wall is going to be so huuuuuuuuuge that Sarah Palin will see it from her house! I can't believe I'm the first one to come up with that joke!