Shutting the border

"2019. The year of reckoning for our border crisis. Will Trump kick this issue down the street like his predecessors have? Nope. Not the way he rolls. Hang on tight next week. Things are about to get real bumpy."

Interesting take this morning on our southern border crisis. Crisis? You mean the crisis or emergency, which according to most Democrats, does not exist? That is the one. You mean the crisis which grows more desperate every single day? That is the one. You mean the one which has totally stripped and overwhelmed our Border Patrol of its resources? Yes, again. Well, our President has HAD IT. Big time. Next week the ship is going to hit the sand. Stand by, thing are about to get real ugly.

The final card Donald Trump has to play is his most powerful card. He has been hesitant to use it, as he was hoping for a better solution. But with illegal crossings up around the 4,000/day rate (and expected to go higher), he has told the nation he will shut the southern border next week. With rumors of the "mother of all caravans" on the move through Mexico, he really has no choice.

What happens when the border shuts down? Some good, some bad. First off, after 9/11 when the border was shut for just a short period of time, the impact on our drug trade was immediate. The same will probably happen this time. Our drug problem gets better quickly, and Mexico's problem gets a whole lot worse just as fast.

It will be an economic earthquake for Mexico. Yes, it would hurt us also, but not to the degree it will be an economic body blow to Mexico. In 2017, over 1/2 trillion dollars worth of produce crossed the border. To lose that conduit, even for a few days, would be devastating to the Mexican economy. But they have been warned. Many times. Control your southern border Mexico, to keep these caravans from forming. And yet, they have done next to nothing.

My feeling? The southern border is a mixed bag. Some good commerce, yes. But it also brings a host of negative issues. And rather than help us solve these issues, Mexico has only turned a blind eye. So, next week comes Trump's final card. The last arrow in his quiver. Get ready Ms. Nancy - you helped create this mess.

One final word. Jeh Johnson, Obama's DHS Secretary was asked this week how bad the southern border is right now. His response? As hard as it was to control the border with the numbers they had back in his day, the numbers today are impossible. How impossible? Our Border Control is forced to let illegals get lost "in the wind" (in our country) after captured. They have outstripped our ability to contain them. 

2019. The year of reckoning for our border crisis. Will Trump kick this issue down the street like his predecessors have? Nope. Not the way he rolls. Hang on tight next week. Things are about to get real bumpy.