On Feb. 15, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency concerning America’s borders; this executive action poses concerns for SDSU students.
Due to the building of the border wall after Trump declared a national emergency, SDSU students who live in Mexico had their morning commutes extended. Dulce Sanchez, a junior and commuter from Tijuana, said her commute has been impacted by the building of the wall due to increased security and lane closures.
“This has affected me more as a commuter, because now they close many lanes at the border to be able to revise the cars/persons more in depth, which takes a long time and long lines,” said Sanchez.
Kim Marbella, a Junior and Liberal Studies major, faces similar conditions and is concerned about the national emergency. “I feel like immigration officers have gotten stricter and make slow progress when crossing the border,” said Marbella.
So far Congress has approved 1.4 billion dollars for the wall. However, under the national emergency, President Trump hopes to get an additional 6.5 billion dollars to fund the border wall. Trump cited the primary reason for the wall is, “…an invasion of our country with drugs, human traffickers, with all types of criminals and gangs.”
Sanchez said that Trump’s reason is unjustifiable, “I believe he is overreacting, but if he feels that building a wall would make the U.S. safer, and a better place, then he has all the right to do what he thinks is better for the country.”
“Unfortunately, to build this wall will cost millions of dollars that could be invested in other areas to help the country,” said Sanchez.
Additionally, Trump’s views on immigration is another idea that has gained him supporters on the border wall. The wall that would be built would be designed to prevent illegal immigration in the U.S. It has been an idea that has won him many supporters since immigration is a very important issue to many Americans.
Sanchez does not believe that a wall will stop illegal immigration, “People have found ways to cross the border illegally in the past and will continue to find other ways if the wall actually happens.”
A 2018 poll conducted in mid-November found that 59 percent of Americans disagree with Trump’s plan to build the wall. Additionally, the poll cites that 79 percent of Republicans support the wall.
In a New York Times article, on Feb. 18, 16 states challenged President Trump’s emergency declaration for the funding of the border wall. A federal lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court in San Francisco by states ran by Democratic governors, except Maryland. The suit argues that the President does not have the authority to redirect funds for the wall when Congress is the ultimate and final authority on government spending.
Mabella said that the national emergency is ridiculous, “He [Trump] is wasting his time and taxpayers money on a foolish national emergency when sincerely nothing of actual emergency is happening.”