[Trumps Immigration Plan, How Could Affect El Paso-Juarez Area] 1

Trumps Immigration Plan, How Could Affect El Paso-Juarez Area

Eduardo Tellez-Giron
University of Texas at El Paso

2 [Type text]

Abstract
Donald Trump presented his immigration plan. El Paso-Juarez border representing the
20% of U.S. Mexico trade, is much considered as one of the cities that could be most affected
by this immigration plan. Trumps plan talks about enforcing the border with a wall. The rules to
cross the border legally are made with the expectation of non-U.S. citizens planning to stay in
The United States to live. Illegal immigrants affect the country in many ways some are good and
some are bad. The importance to understand, how illegal immigrants affect the country, in order
to vote for the correct decision on which action must be taken on their matter.

[Trumps Immigration Plan, How Could Affect El Paso-Juarez Area] 3

Trumps Immigration Plan, How Could Affect El Paso-Juarez Area

Donald Trump is a name that has been making controversy recently because of his immigration
plan. There is three main groups that are affected by this immigration plan. First, Illegal
immigrants, this group are affected harmful way. There must be understanding of why
immigrants are illegally in the U.S. and how they cross the border. The second group is U.S
citizens, that even if they are not affected directly, they could be affected with family, coworkers, or neighbors. The third one is Mexico, why Mexico? Well is very simple one of the
main points on Donald Trump, immigration plan, is for Mexico to pay the wall, and if they do
not pay for the wall, aggressive decision would be made. A place that is most affected by Donald
Trump immigration plan, is a place that has these three groups and one of the most important
places that has them is El Paso Texas and its sister city Ciudad Juarez. So the four main questions
that must be asked to understand how this area would be affected if Donald Trump would win the
elections, are:
1.
2.
3.
4.

-Why El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are important cities and what is their relationship?
What are the rules to cross the border and how this rules are broken?
How Donald Trump immigration plan could affect El Paso-Juarez?
How immigrants affect the U.S.?

Lets clarify something, writing the word affected doesnt necessary means that is in a bad way, it
equally could go both ways, In which way are all these three groups affected is what this paper is
about. There are many sources that have been use in this paper but the main source was Hunt, A.
(2015, July 20). Facing the Facts on Illegal Immigration.

4 [Type text]

-Why El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are important cities and what is their relationship?
El Paso Texas, was originally part of Mexico. Ownership of the U.S, happened after the
war of 1846-48 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. The border was define at the Rio
Grande River at the southwestern are of Texas. After the treaty El Paso became part of The
United States of America, while its sister city remain Mexico territory and became Ciudad Juarez
two cities separate by the Rio Grande River. Ciudad Juarez is the fifth largest city in Mexico,
with more than 350 industrial plants (maquilas). Ciudad Juarez contribute annually $23 billion in
imports and $43 billion in exports to Mexicos economy. El Paso TX, Ciudad Juarez Chihuahua
and Santa Teresa NM, together are the worlds largest international border.
El Paso and Ciudad Juarez have many history. They used to be one city and after being separate
in 1848 they have remain tight. The border cities are one of the most important borders in the
U.S. and Mexico. As a region El Paso and Juarez represent 20% of all U.S- Mexico trade. Beto
ORourke says We are the largest truly binational community in the world and our connection is
our strength. Any attempt to divide that or separate it, especially with this awful fence the East
Germans would be ashamed of, is the wrong way to go (ORourke, 2015).
The relationship between El Paso-Juarez has many differences. The Pasoans, go to Juarez to
have fun, drinking and eating. Juarenses go to El Paso to buy clothing and electronics. The
combination of this two cities makes the border cities very powerful, offering low wages in the
Mexico side, and security in the U.S. side, its a very important offering to investors, a very good
combination.

[Trumps Immigration Plan, How Could Affect El Paso-Juarez Area] 5

In 2006 the drug war started in Ciudad Juarez, and a lot of heads turn to talk about it and also
talk about the border city El Paso. Even with all the violence in the other side of the border, El
Paso benefited from the drug war. All the people from Juarez that could ran to El Paso for
security reasons, and this brought an economy growth to El Paso. Why? The explanation is very
simple all the people from Juarez that run to El Paso instead of spending money daily in Juarez
they were spending daily in El Paso.

2. - What are the rules to cross the border and how this rules are broken?
There is many rules to cruise the border, there is different rules depending how you cross the
border, by air, sea, or land. In El Paso Area the only way to cross legally is by land and air, but
commonly people in the area cross the border by land. By Land you need to present;
U.S. Citizens
Passport, birth certificate or any Trusted Traveler Program Card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST).
Mexican Citizens
Passport and Visa or a border crossing card.
It seems that the rules are very simple, you present your card and cross. The problem is to get a
crossing card or visa. The people that doesnt have any form of card to cross the border, are the
ones that cross it illegally. In order to get the visa you need to go thru a process and also see what
type of visa you apply, there is more than 10 types of visas and every one for a different purpose.
Why people cross the border illegally if there is many ways of doing it legal?

6 [Type text]

Well, to answer this question you need to understand two things. The U.S. operates assuming that
an applicant to the U.S. visa will attempt to stay permanently in the U.S. with reason because
40% of immigrants on the U.S. are from visas overstays. Second, the requirements for the visa
are very strict you miss one or do something wrong and you will be denied the visa. In order to
get the visitors visa the applicant need to prove the trip is temporary, they can support
themselves financially during the trip, and that they have strong ties to their home country.
The U.S is one of the countries that rejects more visas in the world.

This evidence of how difficult is to enter The U.S. and why there is so much illegal immigration.
The main reason why non-U.S. citizens want to live in the U.S. is the search for a better
opportunities. For many non-U.S. citizens illegal immigration seems like their only option. After
realizing that illegal immigration is their only option for many Mexicans, they had create
innovated ways to cross the border illegally. Coyotes are the guys you need to look for if you are

[Trumps Immigration Plan, How Could Affect El Paso-Juarez Area] 7

trying to cross illegally. Coyotes are people that smuggle people illegally into another country.
There is many ways coyotes work, but is well known that coyotes are not very nice people and
all they care is about the money people give them to follow their dream of crossing the border.
They are also the main reason people die trying to cross the border illegally. They tell people to
cross the desert or the river, but they never tell how dangerous is. By walking the desert or hide
in the car, crossing the border is the goal and immigrants risk their lives to try crossing the border
and find a better life.

How Donald Trump immigration plan could affect El Paso-Juarez?

First lets understand Donald Trump Immigration plan. It consist of three main points;
A A nation without borders is not a nation. There must be a wall across the southern border.
B- A nation without laws is not a nation. Laws passed in accordance with our Constitutional
system of government must be enforced.
C A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation. Any Immigration plan must
improve jobs, wages and security for all Americans.
First lets talk about the first point. Donald Trump want to put a wall between Mexico and
The U.S. border, and not only he want to build the wall but he wants that the Mexican
government pay for it. Trump affirms that Mexico government uses illegal immigration
to export criminals and poverty. He says that if Mexico doesnt pay the wall he would
aggressively increase fees in border matters such as temporary visas to Mexican CEOs

8 [Type text]

and diplomats, and increase fees on all border crossing cards. Donald wants to also
increase fees on all NAFTA worker visas from Mexico, this means he wants to adjust the
NAFTA agreement incase Mexico doesnt pay for the wall. Mexico already said they are
not paying for the wall.
This would affect the border city in enormous ways. Many business in El Paso area are
from Mexicans business owners with visas. This immigration plan could destroy a
relationship with Mexico and from that a relationship El Paso- Juarez. NAFTA fees
increase could stop the imports and exports in response of Trumps fees raise. Being the
border area that manage 20% of all trades between U.S. and Mexico, we would be
destroyed economically.
A nation without laws is not a nation. This second point in Trump immigration plan, talks
about laws at first, but rapidly change the subject to talk about ICE officers, and how
there is only 5000 officers of ICE in the U.S. and why we need more ICE officers. ICE
officers duty is inforce immigration policies. With only 5000 officers to inforce
immigration policies for 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam, is hard to believe that 5000
can battle millions of immigrants. Another topic in this second point, is that all criminal
aliens (illegal immigrants) must be return to their home countries. This could help the
U.S. by spending less money on Jails. What worries with this policy is the actions Trump
wants to take if Countries dont want to accept their criminals back. He wants to cancel
all visas to a countries that doesnt accept their criminals, with this he could damage
many international relations.
A nation that doesnt serve its own citizens is not a nation. In this point Trump talks about
how the middle class is shrinking and why teens citizens are unemployed, he talks mainly
about African-American citizens and Hispanic citizens. He explains that the government

[Trumps Immigration Plan, How Could Affect El Paso-Juarez Area] 9

need to control the admission of low-earning workers in order to help wages grow. This
might help growing wages, and open new jobs to teenagers with no experience and high
school education.

4. - How illegal immigration affects the U.S.?

There is many points of views on how illegal immigrants affect the U.S.;
Illegal immigrants are a problem for the government sometimes. Illegal immigrants affect the
country in many ways, from the census to the budget. However illegal immigrants are not just
bad, for many local business owners, or any person that ones housekeeping at a very low price,
illegal immigrants are the solution. Trying to maintain their selves under the radar and in search
for a job desperate, they accept jobs for less money, normally more money that they would get in
their own country. Many republicans say that illegal immigrants harm the economy by earning
money in the U.S. and sending it back to their native countries. There is a variety of illegal
immigrants from all around the world, and with different situations. Some of them came with
their whole family, spend all their money in the U.S. and embrace the nation. Some illegal
immigrants come alone with the only purpose of earning more money that their countries and
send it to their families. Illegal Immigrants pay taxes too the types of taxes the illegal
immigrants pay are the suspense file (taxes that cant be match to any social security and
names). Of course those taxes are not as significant as what a legal immigrant or citizen of the
United States pays. There are many points of view of how illegal immigrants harm our country,
but all of them debatable, and otherwise. In 2006 a report by then comptroller Carole Keeton
found that undocumented immigrants in the state of Texas paid 424.7 million more to the state in

10 [Type text]

taxes and fees than the state spent on them in education that is by fat the biggest spend. Illegal
immigrants take U.S. citizens jobs, but at the same time they work for less money. As said before
there is pros and cons of illegal immigrants, but the most important is to decide on a immigration
plan that benefits America without harming the innocent.
Conclusion
Immigrants built America, and America has forgot. U.S. citizens feel the obligation to express
their opinion about the immigration plan; to vote what they think is best for the country and their
selves. Actions must be taken with illegal immigrants, for the benefit of the country, citizens and
the illegal immigrants their selves. Which actions to take with the illegal immigrants is the tough
decision that has to be made. Donald Trump proposed his plan that has been sheered by very
important people. The most important information that must be taken by this paper is to know
how all government decisions affect us, and how in one way or another we will be affected by
their decisions. We should put more attention into who is running to be President or we could
end up with someone that would take the wrong choices.

[Trumps Immigration Plan, How Could Affect El Paso-Juarez Area] 1

References
Salamon, J. (2013, January 20). Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About
Illegal Immigration (But Didn't Know Who to Ask) - Texas Monthly.
Retrieved November 22, 2015, from
http://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-knowabout-illegal-immigration-but-didnt-know-who-to-ask/
Hunt, A. (2015, July 20). Facing the Facts on Illegal Immigration. Retrieved
November 22, 2015, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/20/us/politics/facing-the-facts-on-illegalimmigration.html?_r=0
Need Help Getting Started? (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2015, from
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en.html
Anchondo, L. (2010). Top 10 Myths About Immigration. Retrieved November
22, 2015, from http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/high-school/top-10-mythsabout-immigration
Trump, D. (2015). Immigration Reform. Retrieved November 25, 2015, from
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform
http://planelpaso.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/ELP%2011%20Border
%20Relations_for%20web.pdf