Mayor of San Luis responds to potential US border shutdown

A shutdown of the U.S. Mexico border could put a massive halt on trade and economic development throughout San Luis and other border regions according to San Luis Mayor Gerardo Sanchez.

Since thousands of Central Americans fled their homes to seek asylum at the United States border, President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the military and close the border although officials in his administration have advised against.

But the impacts according to Mayor Sanchez stretch further than just the border communities.

“The vast majority of people who cross the border don’t stay here in San Luis, they go to work in agriculture fields, they go to work in different areas in Yuma,” Sanchez said. “The impact we are talking about is close to a $2 billion industry.”

The United States has always had a process for people in fear of their own country and looking for asylum. Sanchez said he agrees to the rights for asylum seekers but there is still a concern for the thousands headed from Central America.

“Do we have the resources? Do we have the man-power to actually deal with so many people?” he said. “I don’t think we have the man-power, our customs will be overwhelmed.”

Another concern throughout border communities is safety. The safety of San Luis hasn’t changed, Sanchez said. In fact he says there is more positives than negatives. His open communication with San Luis Rio Colorado Mayor Jose Enrique Reina Lizárraga is one of those positives.

“We share this mutual feeling and we are going to continue working together, our goal is to make this one of the safest communities and we are going to continue to do that,” Sanchez said.

The open line of communication is a model that, Sanchez says needs to be followed all the way through congress, regardless of party affiliation, if we want these issues to be properly addressed.