Border mayors frustrated with rhetoric from Washington, say wall is unnecessary

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Construction of a new $73.3 million border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in Santa Teresa, N.M., began Monday after an official groundbreaking of what officials called the “president’s border wall.”
RUBEN R. RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES

EL PASO, Texas – Mayors of cities along the U.S.-Mexico border say negative rhetoric from Washington that labels the area a war zone remains a challenge and agree a wall isn’t needed in the region.

“Unfortunately, they don’t know the beauty of our communities in the border,” said Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

More: President Trump’s Border wall may cost more, take longer: Congress watchdog

The mayors of El Paso, Las Cruces, Sunland Park, N.M., and the mayor pro tem of Juárez met for a roundtable discussion during the 2018 U.S.-Mexico Border Summit on Wednesday.

The discussion comes at a time when the U.S.-Mexico border is under a political microscope over immigration and border security. President Donald Trump campaigned on building a wall and has continued to push for one since taking office.

More: President Donald Trump threatens to shut down government over border wall funding

However, the mayors said the region doesn’t need a wall.

“We have a fence here. The fence is fine. It does what it’s supposed to do,” El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said. “I hear the term wall, I think of the Berlin Wall. I think it’s pretty detrimental to the relationships that have lasted more than 400 years.”

Roberto Rentería Manqueros, mayor pro tem of Juárez, said regardless of the wall, the communities work together.

“I hope someday people find out that at least in this part (of the border) it’s not necessary,” Manqueros said. “We don’t need a wall.”

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Manqueros said what is needed is more cooperation from state and federal governments to resolve issues, such as drug trafficking.

“The drug issue is a very difficult problem, especially on the border,” Manqueros said. “The borders are a very important part of the country for drug dealers. They have to pass through here in order to do their job.”

Manqueros said Mexican President-elect Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador has mentioned initiatives that could help reduce the problem. Part of the plan is to lower taxes and the cost of goods at the border to make the region more competitive on the Mexican side, he said.

More: ‘The Wall’ documentary about Trump’s border wall shown in El Paso

Manqueros also said if people have more money, then they will have better access to education and better job opportunities instead of joining gangs.

The mayors said that while it is frustrating to hear the rhetoric about the border, it is up to them to educate people.

“It falls on us to make sure that we do show people what we really are,” said Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea.

Perea said he welcomes officials to the area and thinks it’s also necessary to visit other cities to communicate the message that the region is united.

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