Paper Example. The United States Southern Border Wall

When Trump was campaigning for the American presidency, one of his major promises was to erect a wall between the United States and Mexico. He knew that some Americans were appalled by the high influx of Mexicans into the United States. Among the causes of the high inflow rate of Mexicans into the U.S is to find greener pastures since most Chicanos believe that the United States offers better job opportunities whose remunerations are quite attractive. When president Trump assumed the presidency seat, he immediately embarked on the promise of erecting a massive wall to prevent illegal immigrants from getting into his country. The initiative by Trump has elicited debates among Americans as well as Mexicans. While some Americans back him on the issue of the wall, some insist that the move to erect the fence will not only be counterproductive but will also put a heavy burden on the American taxpayers. Building the wall has become a problem in the United States since it has split the nation into two segments, and this does not augur well with the prosperity goals of the United States. Every American and Mexican should be concerned with the decision to erect the wall since it affects both countries as far as the socio-political and economic aspects of the two nations are concerned. The United States -Mexico wall should not be built since its construction will adversely affect the environment; the wall will be costly to the Americans, and it will ruin the dwindling diplomatic relations between the U.S and Mexico and its allies.

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Going ahead with the construction of the southern wall will have immense economic impacts since its installation and maintenance requires significant figures of money for the wall to be fully operational. According to financial experts, no specific value can be attached to the construction and maintenance of the southern wall. However, they approximate the amount to be between $15 billion to $30 billion (Long). The 1, 954 miles wall is quite long that there is likely to be collateral damage during its construction, and such damage may also attract more expenses. When he was campaigning, president Trump was hopeful that he would convince the government of Mexico to contribute some money towards the construction of the wall, but this assumption was wrong since the Mexican government is adamant that it will not participate in the creation of the wall whatsoever. Therefore, such a revelation indicates that American taxpayers will solely carry the burden of constructing the controversial wall on the southern border of the United States (Long). It is evident that there is a government shutdown over the construction of the wall, but president Trump is lobbying to have the project continue. He has been at the forefront in motivating the United States Congress by proposing a slicing of the costs for the initial plan of construction where he suggested a cut from $7 billion to $5 billion. Despite such a reduction, there should be no reason to proceed with the wall since there are more pressing issues that the government should prioritize at the expense of the southern wall. Further, economists hint that the construction of the wall will heavily impinge upon the economy in that for every 19cents used on the wall construction, the American middle-class earners will benefit only one cent. The significant margin of 18 cents occasions massive losses that the United States may take years to recover. Economists also warn that the erection of the wall will cut down the number of Mexican immigrants who contribute positively to the American Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By the end of the construction of the wall, approximately 144,000 Mexicans in the workforce of the United States will have left the country, yet they contribute to a high percentage of taxes pumped into the country's economy (Long). By constructing the wall, the United States will lose approximately $4 billion each year, and this figure translates to $30,000 spent by the country for every illegal immigrant stopped by the wall on the southern border. The United States is grappling with critical situations that require adequate funding. For instance, the health sector is ailing as the call for universal health insurance intensifies. Besides, there is a deep in the general economy of the nation, and the government should channel more funds to the economy in a bid to stabilize it. The wage bill is quite high during these times when the living standards have skyrocketed. The government should look into wage bill instead of focusing on the wall, which could end up as a white elephant. From the above findings, there is no doubt that the construction of the wall is ill-advised. President Trump must adhere to the public's call, and abandon the project as soon as possible (Long).

The United States government should shelf the construction of the southern border wall as this move will help salvage the environment owing to the construction processes that may interfere with the ecosystem on the southern parts of the country. The environment is a natural phenomenon, which came into existence without the influence of a person, a government, or any institution. The ecosystem is made up of habitats where animals, birds, and other creatures coexist as they struggle to multiply and also survive. Unfortunately, human beings are slowly invading the environmental aspect by establishing artificial elements, which play a huge role in environmental degradation. Among the artificial one is the southern wall that president Trump plans to build. The 1,954 miles wall cuts across more than two states as it snakes from the Gulf of Mexico in Texas to the Pacific Ocean in California (Parker). There is worry that the wall could interfere with natural landscapes in some of these states. The construction of the wall will cause the alteration of many landscapes whereby some parts will be excavated while others will have their soil structure altered. Such occurrences will cause soil erosion and other soil movement processes that ultimately become catastrophic to the environment. The catastrophes will be detrimental to the flora and fauna since these organisms depend on the stability of the ecosystem. Being a strong erection, the wall will act as a barrier to water flow in most parts where it will pass. As a result, artificial dams are likely to be created leading to floods in most regions where the wall will pass through. The situation is expected to be similar to the 700-mile fence, which the administration of President George Bush established (Parker). This wall led to massive floods that did destroy not only property but also caused the loss of life. The wall is also likely to affect the natural flow of rivers, for instance, the Rio Grande River, which experiences seasonal changes of flow. Usually, animals are free to move from one side of the wall to the other. However, when constructed, the wall will prevent the free movement of animals across the border. The southern part of the United States and the northern section of Mexico are covered by a vast desert that offers a habitat for animals like the Desert Jaguar, among others (Parker). These animals have to move freely from one section of the desert to the other as the weather patterns change. Their movement is to facilitate mating as well as search for food. Erecting the wall is likely to hamper the progress of wildlife, and the situation could lead to the extinction of some of these animals. From the above findings, it is clear that the wall's value does not exist when examined from the environmental perspective. According to the map of the wall, it is likely to go through some wildlife sanctuaries such as the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (Parker). Besides, the wall could also pass through the Big Bend National Park. These are essential sanctuaries that do not only preserve wildlife but also offer intrinsic aesthetic value. The construction of the wall will unquestionably affect these habitats by distorting the shelters and migration patterns of wildlife. Therefore, people who value the environment should rise and advocate for the stalling of the construction of the Mexican wall.

Progression of the construction of the southern wall will ruin the diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States. Besides, relationships between American allies and Mexican allies are likely to be frustrated by the erection of the Mexican wall. Today, the Mexican president and the American president are already disagreeing over the funding of the wall. If nothing is done to stop the conflict, America and Mexico are likely to part ways by ending any commercial transactions between the two nations. As a result, it is the citizens of the two countries that will suffer since they will not exchange goods and services, which they have been doing since the end of the civil war between the two nations (Beezley 44-48). The barrier wall between the two countries is likely to fail in its purposes. The cardinal role of the wall is to prevent Mexicans from crossing over to the United States. However, Mexicans are people who have many options given that they have been passing to the United States despite the tight security at the border. The work of smugglers referred to as Coyotes will blossom since they will have enough work to help Mexicans cross over. The wall will also intensify the contemptuous attitudes between Americans and Mexicans. Mexicans, for example, will perceive Americans a society devoid of good attributes. Since most Mexicans are ready to sacrifice their life for the sake of crossing over to the United States, the wall will do little to stop Mexicans, and in case some die in the process, their friends and family members will develop a negative attitude towards the United States. In the process, the existing relationship between the two nations is likely to be distorted.

In conclusion, the construction of the southern wall will be of little benefit since its effects are detrimental to the environment, to the economy of the United States, and the diplomatic relations of the nation. The wall is an artificial structure that will be introduced into the natural habitats across regions based on the south of the United States and in the northern parts of Mexico. The wall will hamper the free movement of wildlife, and it will also divert river courses. Economically, Americans will foot the bills that emerge from the construction of the wall, especially after the Mexican government declined to participate in the wall construction. The 1,954 miles wall is likely to cost taxpayers money ranging from $15 billion to $30 billion. Such a tremendous amount of money will heavily impinge on the American economy. The diplomatic relations of the United States will be adversely affected, especially when Mexico and its nationals perceive the move by Trump to be informed by evil motives. In light of that, president Trump should not proceed with the construction of the wall, but he should focus on other crucial issues affecting American society.

Works Cited

Beezley, William H. Mexico in World History. Oxford UP, 2011.

Long, H. "Analysis: Economists Say Border Wall is a Waste of Money." The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2019, www.mercurynews.com/2019/01/08/analysis-economists-say-border-wall-is-a-waste-of-money/. Accessed 13 May 2019.

Parker, Laura. "6 Ways the Border Wall Could Disrupt the Environment." 10 Jan. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/how-trump-us-mexico-border-wall-could-impact-environment-wildlife-water/. Accessed 13 May 2019.