WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) — Pres. Trump says he is giving Mexico a year notice to stop drug flow over the border or he will tariff car imports or close the border altogether.
Texas lawmakers say closing the border would be an immediate disaster for the Texas economy and eventually the nation as a whole. While legislators hope the president won’t follow through on this promise, they are preparing for the worst.
“I’ve been getting a lot of calls, a lot of texts, emails from people that are very concerned. They are just worried about the impact,” said Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar.
Cuellar says his inbox has been flooded with messages from constituents who feared the president would shutdown the Mexico border.
Trump said Thursday that he would give Mexico one year before a border shutdown, but Cuellar says today or next year, both options would be a disaster.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says $1.7 billion worth of goods cross the southern border every day and that five million American jobs depend on trade with Mexico.
Congressman Will Hurd says Mexico is Texas’ number one trading partner.
The Texas Republian said:
“The U.S. and Mexico, we are more than neighbors. We are more than friends. We are family. Our relationship is so important.”
Hurd added that there are also 28 states who claim Mexico as their number one or number two trading partner.
Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz were among the lawmakers, advisers and business people who urged the president not to close the border. “That’s not the right approach,” said Cruz. “Congress needs to take up and pass legislation to secure the border and end this crisis.”
