Border Wall Opposing Perspectives

Introduction

The U.S. federal government is presently working out processes that will actualize the construction of a border wall designed to enable it achieve objectives of current immigration policy. It is bound to resurrect political, social and economic resentments between the two pertinent nations that ultimately disturb the natural order of things within wildlife habitats in the affected regions. Though many are against its erection, there is little that can be done to veto an executive order.

The Issue Highlighted

President Donald Trump has for a long time felt strongly about what some people perceive as a weak American immigration policy. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign season, the presidential candidate communicated a vision that entailed extensive discourse on a southern border wall on the boundary with Mexico (Berenson, 2017). However, people did not consider much of his commitment to the agenda given that it goes against the grain of many citizens’ views.

Arguments in Favor of the Border Wall

Entities like the Center for Immigration Studies have been calling for tighter confines on immigration (Nixon, para 3). The border with Mexico is too expansive and porous to cut off illegal drug smuggling in line with the War on Drugs policy that began being implemented decades ago is still to accomplish its main goals (Barclay & Frostenson, 2017). Collaborations between the two nations on anti-narcotics operations have been dependent on highly trained human personnel and technology intensive equipment yet the problem remains. Some political figures consider such a permanent structure as a symbol signifying action against a longstanding threat (Nixon para 14).

Establishing a physical barrier along its southern border not only aligns with the immigration policy but also serves to institute fixed territories under America’s sovereign authority (Jones, 2014). For instance, it was the US-Mexican conflict in the 19^th Century that led to border demarcations of under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The final parts of Mexico’s boundaries officially identified as U.S. territories in 1854 under the Gadsden Purchase support President Trump’s mission to establish a continuous barrier against immigrants (Jones, 2014). It is therefore, a process that has been in the pipeline for a very long time. The American government should thus, be appreciated as having found a window of opportunity to complete a federal objective to visually demonstrate its territory from that of Mexico.

Conversely, there are disparities between Mexican society and that of the US. For instance, Jones (2014) posits that the GDP of the US was at 47,000 dollars in 2010 while that of Mexico only stood at 14,000 dollars. Population movements tend to irreversibly transform lifestyles within affected states leading to Anti-immigration activists voicing justifiable concerns. People from other cultures were also treated in the same manner at various points of American relatively long history. American belief systems admonished the Chinese, Italians, and the Irish values considered as contrary to theirs (Jones, 2014). It should thus, be comprehended as the rich country’s government attempt to appraise enforcement capacities. This implies that the U.S. will now become more assertive relative to authority over its lands and in determining which persons may be allowed into its territories.

Arguments Against the Border Wall

There are numerous reasons why there is a unified voice among American citizens against Trump’s border wall. Firstly, it is critical to come to the full understanding that territories or for this case, natural ecosystems do not exist to sustain human society only. The expansive region is home to some of the most diverse and expansively spread biodiversity (Felbab-Brown, 2017). The wildlife spans four major and distinctively unique eco-regions yet the continuous barrier seeks to encroach on them. These include the southern tips of the clement Rocky Mountains, eastern parts of the Sonoran Desert, northern edge of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Chihuahua Desert’s western terminus (Felbab-Brown, 2017). Construction undoubtedly impresses greater stresses on endangered species like the lesser long-not bat, Sonoran pronghorn, cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, jaguar, black tailed prairie dog, Chiricahua leopard frog, American bison, ocelot, jaguarondi, and the Mexican gray wolf (Felbab-Brown, 2017). Many more species of insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals are to be negatively impacted (Barclay & Frostenson, 2017). Strong illumination expected to be ubiquitous along the barrier will kill off many different species including critical insect pollinators.

Other valid justifications include undocumented workers as well as the proliferations of small arms and illegal drugs will continue despite the tall, thick wall. For instance, the issue of illegal immigrants is due to many overstaying short-term visas and not from significant inflows of Mexicans across the border but. Over the years, this specific statistic has progressively outnumbered those considered as crossing the expansive border (Samuelson para 7). Another aspect that the Trump administrations seems to have overlooked is that remittances sent back to the motherland by immigrant workers serves to keep many from crossing over to the U.S. Similarly, sending money back to relatives ensures that many others do not get influenced to join the narcotics trade (Felbab-Brown, 2017). Therefore, the wall is bound to present greater problems than solutions to existing situations underscoring the fact that it is an egoistic and misplaced notion.

Personal Perspective on the Border Wall

Collaborations between the two nations are expected to suffer adversely from the radical anti-immigration policy (Felbab-Brown, 2017). The fence has effectively eroded pivotal environmental laws and the present administration seeks to challenge all other remaining environmentally friendly considerations.

Farmers and the textile sector under the great importance of the American cotton industry. In the late 19^th Century, a pest common in both countries, the boll weevil threatened to wipe out the industry (Felbab-Brown, 2017). Fruitful partnerships between the two nations over the following years minimized this damage. However, the manmade hedge has strained relations between the two while the outcomes of such eventualities present dynamic long-term economic challenges. The Boundary Treaty of 1970 specifically outlines that official on either side of the border must be in agreement where either side seeks to create a structure affecting the Rio Grande’s water flow (Felbab-Brown, 2017). Steel slats across the river are bound to get clogged with rubbish and rubble during rainy seasons. This may result in floods devastating cities on both territories resulting in damages into the millions of dollars.

How Federalism Constrains Options Available for the Government

Indeed, federalism tends to limit the options available for notional government to explore (Steurer & Clar, 2015). As the 21^st Century progresses, milestones in technological application of novel scientific findings have allowed for myriads of alternatives for national administrations like the U.S. to critically address particular problems without damaging the effectiveness of other policies. President Trump’s application of the anti-immigration policy via executive order has eliminated the federal government’s authority to capitalize on technology towards engaging greater collaborations amongst various policy makers (Steurer & Clar, 2015). The border wall has far reaching implications on very many aspects of human society as well as the natural ecosystems and its association with mankind. It is one that is as rigid as the structure itself and since human beings are adept to morphing to overcome obstacles, then it will remain a white elephant and a queer legacy for the current head of state.

Conclusion

President Trump is resolute in making America great again. The border wall is a multipronged approach to secure the American society against negative influences from the poorer nations to the south. However, it is one that seems draconian given that it fails to appreciate the dynamic aspects of human society and the need for greater efforts towards environmental conservation. The leader’s intentions seem to be for the best of the country’s citizens though there are many other aspects of the same nation that are bound to go wrong if it continues. Federalism has therefore eliminated the country’s administration to investigate for other more environmentally friendly and socially progressive avenues to build on previous strengths in a manner that accommodates the expectations of all stakeholders.

References

Barclay, E. & Frostenson, S. The ecological disaster that is Trump’s border wall: a visual guide. Vox. 2017. Web. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/4/10/14471304/trump-border-wall-animals

Berenson, T. Donald Trump just changed a key campaign promise about Mexico. Time Inc. 2017. Web. http://time.com/4625651/donald-trump-mexico-wall-congress/

Felbab-Brown, V. The wall: The real cost of a barrier between the United States and Mexico. The Brookings Institution. 2017. Web. https://www.brookings.edu/essay/the-wall-the-real-costs-of-a-barrier-between-the-united-states-and-mexico/

Jones, R. Why build a border wall? North American Congress on Latin America. 2014. Web. https://nacla.org/article/why-build-border-wall

Nixon Ron. Border wall prototypes are unveiled, but trump’s vision still faces obstacles. The New York Times. 2017. Web.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/us/politics/border-wall-prototypes-unveiled.html

Samuelson, Robert J. Yes, build the border wall! The Japan Times. 2017. Web. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/10/17/commentary/world-commentary/yes-build-border-wall/

Steurer, R., & Clar, C. Is decentralisation always good for climate change mitigation? How federalism has complicated the greening of building policies in Austria. Policy Sciences, 48(1), 85-107. 2015.