Area, regional politicians react to Trump’s border wall executive order

President Donald Trump announced his long-awaited plan Wednesday to build a wall on the 1,954-mile U.S. border with Mexico, calling for its “immediate construction” to stop the flow of smuggling and drugs.

STATEMENT BY THE EL PASO STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION ON BORDER AND IMMIGRATION POLICY:

“Today, the President of the United States used his office to attack border communities and immigrants. His announcement is disappointing but not surprising, given his rhetoric as a candidate.

A wall will violate the private property rights of Americans, be prohibitively expensive, and be ineffective. The only return on investment is political, and it sends a signal to the rest of the world that America is no longer the beacon of hope for the tired and poor, who given the opportunity in our country become exceptional, just as our parents and grandparents.

If the President talked to border residents, he would hear that we need to strengthen and streamline our ports of entry, so that we can build upon our economic, cultural, and social ties with our neighbors. He would hear that we want to build bridges, not walls. We are one of the safest communities in the country because we do not target immigrants – we welcome them. Despite policies from the federal and state level that diminish instead of build our border communities, we will continue to do so.”

TEXAS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN WILL HURD RELEASED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT REGARDING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BORDER SECURITY EXECUTIVE ORDER:

“The facts have not changed. Building a wall is the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border. Each section of the border faces unique geographical, cultural, and technological challenges that would be best addressed with a flexible, sector-by-sector approach that empowers the agents on the ground with the resources they need. A wall may be an effective tool in densely populated areas, but a variety of tools are needed between Brownsville, Texas and San Diego, California. The 23rd District of Texas, which I represent has over 800 miles of the border, more than any other Member of Congress, and it is impossible to build a physical wall in much of its terrain. Big Bend National Park and many areas in my district are perfect examples of where a wall is unnecessary and would negatively impact the environment, private property rights and economy. There is no question that we must secure our border, but we need an intelligence-led approach in order to effectively combat the 19 criminal organizations currently operating in Mexico.”

U.S. SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TEXAS) TODAY RELEASED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACTIONS TO SECURE THE BORDER AND ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS:

“Today, President Trump took action that will launch the process of securing our southern border and effectively enforcing our nation’s immigration laws. These are policies on which Americans have waited far too long for action, and I stand ready to work with my colleagues to support these measures with any additional Congressional action that may be necessary to ensure they are timely and effectively implemented.”

U.S. SENATOR TOM UDALL ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER CALLING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A WALL ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER AND TO BLOCK LOCAL PROTECTIONS FOR IMMIGRANTS:

“As residents of a border state, New Mexicans know that border security is critically important to our national security. I support – and have voted for – hiring more Border Patrol agents and funding more security equipment and technology. Building a border wall isn’t a new idea, and over and over again, the facts have shown that a wall along the entire border would be ineffective and outrageously expensive – over $16 million per mile, in some areas.

One of the most difficult places to build a wall is the remote Bootheel region of New Mexico, which is so rugged, Border Patrol agents have told me that horses and ATVs are the best ways to patrol. The wall also would be a symbol that empowers anti-immigrant rhetoric, while disrupting our relationship with Mexico, New Mexico’s number one trading partner. I urge President Trump to listen to the experts at DHS, who will tell him that what we desperately need is to invest in technology, better retention of Border Patrol agents, and other effective and more efficient ways to keep the border safe and secure.”

Regarding President Trump’s decision to block funds for sanctuary cities: “We should get violent criminals and drug dealers off the streets, no matter where they were born. But President Trump’s executive order isn’t guaranteed to do that at all. What it likely would do is interfere with local police, prevent local governments like Santa Fe and Doña Ana County from providing services that taxpayers depend on, and threaten millions of families. A more effective – and humane – approach would be to bring the country together and fix our broken immigration system once and for all. I have supported bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform for many years, and I will continue to support policies that will secure our border, find a path to legal status for the 11 million undocumented people living in the country today, and ensure employers can find legal workers.”