O’Rourke on existing barriers in El Paso: ‘I would take them down’

Former El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke – mulling a run for the presidency in 2020 – told MSNBC he would take down existing walls and border barriers already in place along the Southwestern border if he could.

O’Rourke also responded to this Twitter question posed by Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw: “If you could snap your fingers and make El Paso’s border wall disappear, would you?’

“Yes, absolutely. I’d take the wall down.” O’rourke responded, adding “After the Secure Fence Act, we have built 600 miles of wall/fencing on a 2,000-mile border.”

El Paso’s former congressman said the barriers already in place have not, in any demonstrative way, made (El Paso) safer. “It cost us millions, pushed migrants to most hostile places, ensuring their death,” said O’Rourke.

ABC 7 traveled around El Paso to get the reaction from residents on the Border Barrier in El Paso, and also on O’Rourke’s statement.

Laurie Edwards said, “It’s pretty safe the way it is now, I don’t know if I would take it down, Its working fine the way it is right now, I don’t think I’d want to add anything to it but I certainly don’t think I’d want to take it down either.”

Some residents say they agree with O’Roukes statement. Peter Chavarin said, “I’m okay with it, I see where he’s trying to get at, people from Mexico are coming here and starting problems, there are already problems here in the U.S.”

One UTEP student said, “It’s a good step, I don’t think it would affect anything because I feel all the human beings are good, but political issues, that’s what makes a difference.”

Other residents, like Hiram Samaniego who thinks the wall is good for the city, “I think it helps, I think anytime there is a boundary it helps for others to keep from coming. If I have a boundary here at home then I would not allow dogs to come into my house so I think boundaries and fences do work.”

Some people declined to speak, saying they had family here in El Paso.