Trump Left an Opening in his Wall to Actually Discuss Border Security

During his oval office address, President Trump painted a dire picture of the southwest border, which has left him no choice but to shut down the government. The president’s speech was, however, a sleight of hand that obscures the real dispute and misrepresents the issues at the border.

The core disagreement remains the president’s demand for $5.7 billion for border wall funding. While what the president wants has and likely will continue to change, at its base the president wants to deliver on his campaign promise of building a wall.

Whatever their political strategy, congressional Democrats have sound reasons for opposing him. The president’s wall is an expensive solution that offers marginal, if any, actual benefits for addressing the key problems at the southwest border.

Far from being out of control, illegal border crossings remain at modern, historically low levels. Indeed, any crisis at the border is of the president’s own making: the breakdown of the asylum process and the failure to properly care for asylum seekers.

The president’s wall might have some marginal deterrent effect, but the human smuggling organizations are creative and adaptable. Show them a 20-foot wall, and they will find a 25-foot ladder or a tunnel. To be sure, barriers are part of a sound border security strategy, but they are not a standalone solution.