Ted Cruz doesn't think Trump's idea of shutting down US-Mexico border is a smart move
Ted Cruz doesn't think Trump's idea of shutting down US-Mexico border is a smart move: 'The answer is not to punish Texas'
David Choi
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Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Associated Press/Jacquelyn Martin
- Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas warned that President Donald Trump's idea of closing the US border with Mexico would be devastating to his constituents if it came to pass.
- "Closing the border to legal commerce would be devastating to Texas," Cruz said in a statement on Wednesday. "Millions of jobs, in Texas and across the country, depend upon trade with Mexico, and the federal government shouldn't do anything to jeopardize those jobs."
- The senator broadly agrees with securing the border, but not by shutting it completely down and prohibiting people from traveling legally.
- Trump's threat to close the border with Mexico reached a fever pitch when he claimed he was "ready" to act.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas warned that President Donald Trump's idea of closing the US border with Mexico would be devastating to his constituents if it came to pass.
"Closing the border to legal commerce would be devastating to Texas," Cruz said in a statement on Wednesday. "Millions of jobs, in Texas and across the country, depend upon trade with Mexico, and the federal government shouldn't do anything to jeopardize those jobs."
Trump's threat to close the border with Mexico reached a fever pitch last week when he claimed he was "ready" to act. Trump claimed the flow of illegal immigrants to the US was unmanageable, even with the help of Mexican authorities.
"I'm ready to close it," Trump said on Tuesday. "If I have to close it, Mexico, as you know, as of yesterday, has been starting to apprehend a lot of people at their southern border coming in from Honduras and Guatemala and El Salvador. And they're really apprehending thousands of people."
"Congress must get together and immediately eliminate the loopholes at the Border," Trump also tweeted on Wednesday. "If no action, Border, or large sections of Border, will close [sic]. This is a National Emergency!"
Trump's economic advisers have reportedly warned him of the dire consequences of shutting down the border, which may worsen illegal immigration and put an economic strain on the US economy. US businesses reportedly lost $5.3 million after the Trump administration briefly shut down a border crossing in San Diego in 2018.
On Tuesday, Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow told CNBC that "people are looking at different options, particularly, if you can keep those freight lanes, those truck lanes open," to mitigate a potential economic impact.
Read more: 2 maps that show how every state's economy would suffer if Trump shuts down the US-Mexico border
The possibility of an economic hit was not lost of Cruz, whose state shares the most number of border miles with Mexico. The senator broadly agrees with securing the border, but not by shutting it completely down and prohibiting people from traveling legally.
"Of course, we should secure the border. We must," Cruz said in his statement. "Our broken immigration system and years of unwillingness to secure our southern border has produced a security and humanitarian crisis."
"But the answer is not to punish those who are legally crossing the border," Cruz added. "The answer is not to punish Texas farmers and ranchers and manufacturers and small businesses."
https://www.businessinsider.com/ted-cruz-closing-mexico-border-trump-wall-2019-4
