One concern not discussed is the enormous ecological disaster that will result from construction of Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
As reported in BioScience, July 24, more than 2,500 scientists from around the world agree a U.S.-Mexico border wall would harm wildlife populations by degrading and fragmenting habitats, devalue protected conservation borderlands and habitat corridors (Sonoran Desert, The Californias, Sky Islands, Big Bend and Lower Rio Grande Valley) and ignore the Endangered Species and National Environmental Policy acts.
The borderlands traverse ecoregions of desert scrub, temperate forests and woodlands, semi-desert and plains grasslands, subtropical and freshwater scrublands and salt marshes supporting extraordinary biological diversity. The border bisects the geographic ranges of more than 1,500 animal species and more than 400 plant species, including bighorn sheep, Mexican gray wolf and Sonoran pronghorn, as well as jaguar and ocelot.
A wall would separate populations of species, prohibit access to water and stop seasonal migration. A U.S.-Mexico border wall would create an effect in the natural ecosystem no different than the Berlin Wall, which divided a human ecosystem.
As of 2017, the Department of Homeland Security has constructed 656 miles of pedestrian and vehicle barrier serviced by 5,000 miles of roads. Electronic barriers, drones, helicopters and additional border guards (more jobs) can be sufficient to regulate human migration to and from the U.S. (The vast majority of drugs will continue to get into the U.S. by way of truck and airplane.)
We don’t need a dumb concrete or steel wall across our southern border. Republicans, please restrain your useful idiot (but don’t tell him drug trafficking and illegal migration are increasing along our 5,525-mile border with Canada).
H. Richard Klatt, Sandy
