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Trump's wall could hurt the U.S. economy, expert says
► ANGIE BALDELOMAR @AngieBaldelomar
President Donald Trump's effort to build a wall on the United States-Mexico border is not just about the wall, a former Obama staffer said at a University event on Tuesday.
Factors like trade and immigration, and the wall's effect on the economy, should all be carefully examined before such a drastic step is taken.
Alan D. Bersin, the former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, described Mexico as a vital partner to the United States, as part of the "Security, immigration, trade & the border: Will constructing a 'Big a$$ wall' solve America's issue with Mexico?" on Tuesday.
The talk was the fifth and final part of the summer discussion series on U.S.-Mexico relations organized by the Dole Institute of Politics.
Angie Baldelomar/KANSAN
One of President Trump's campaign promises was to build a wall along U.S.-Mexico border, aiming to keep
Former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Alan D. Bersin speaks at the Dole Institute of Politics about the complex factors involved in the construction of a border wall, as proposed by President Donald Trump.
criminals and drugs from entering the United States. This has been met with opposition from Congress, which has refused to finance the endeavor.
Bersin, who served as assistant secretary and chief diplomatic officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration, said that the United States has developed an "integrated production platform" with Mexico.
On immigration, Bersin remarked that the number of people crossing the United States-Mexican border illegally is the lowest it's been in four decades.
campaign. Trump, instead, is in the process of renegotiating the agreement.
"Controlling that territory, sealing it, it's not doable," he said. "The border has never been totally controllable at any point because of the nature of the terrain, because of the nature of the socio-economics that are there."
"We've got to understand that we're linked with Mexico now in ways that our children and our grandchildren will benefit from," he said during the event.
Mexico is one of the main countries the U.S. exports to, and as Bersin explained, this relationship is linked to the United States' economic future. He highlighted that it was farmers in the Midwest who asked the current administration not to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as originally proposed by now-President Donald Trump during the election
derstanding on the importance of border relations with Mexico.
He said the majority of people entering the U.S. through the Mexico border, both legally and illegally, are coming from Central America, not Mexico.
"You don't change people's mind in one or five conversations, my goal is always been to get people to think about it in a different way, to kind of understand why sitting here in Kansas, we should care about the border," she said after the event.
"This idea that it's a Mexico problem is actually not the ease," he said.
Christina Luhn, Dole fellow and organizer of the summer discussion series, said, after the talk, she hopes attendees have a better un-
Bersin also highlighted throughout the talk the importance of having Mexico and Canada as U.S. partners.
Echoing Bersin's idea, Luhn highlighted the importance of Mexico in Kansas' economy, not only through exports, but also with immigration. She said the state is shrinking in population size, going from five congressional seats when she got started into politics and now at four.
"There are communities in western Kansas that rely on this immigrant labor," she said.
"He made a strong case
After the talk, Erik Scott assistant professor at the Department of History, said Bersin brought an interesting perspective as someone who has worked on the border for decades on issues touched on.
for the need to work with Mexico and Canada on border security and on these broader issues such as security, immigration, and cooperation," Scott said.
But he was surprised, above all, by Bersin's optimism about the current political climate, even though Scott is quick to point out
that he might not share that optimism.
"I admire his optimism that the current moment, the current political impasse in this country could be an opportunity for us to rethink these issues and do a better job at addressing them," he said.
Police looking at a string of vending machine break-ins
CHANDLER BOESE
@Chandler_Boee
When $2,300 is stolen on campus, one might expect it to be a backpack or computer or textbooks. But some criminals last week chose a different target: vending machines.
Over the course of the
last week of June, 17 vending machines (including Coca-Cola, Monster, Dasani and snack machines) were broken into. Between the money that was stolen and the damage done, $2,363 was lost, according to the police reports obtained by the Kansan and the online Crime Reports put out
by the University's Public Safety Office.
Deputy Chief James Anguiano said via email that he could not say very much about the crimes because they are ongoing investigations, but he encouraged anyone who sees anything or knows anything to contact PSO.
The thefts reported to KU PSO:
Three vending machines damaged in Wescoe Hall, reported Saturday, June 24.
One vending machine pried open in Stauffer-Flint Hall, reported Saturday June 24.
Two vending machines damaged in Wescoe Hall,
reported Sunday, June 25.
Five vending machines damaged in Murphy Hall, reported Sunday, June 25.
One vending machine damaged in Bailey Hall, reported Monday, June 26.
One vending machine damaged in Blake Hall, reported Wednesday, June 28.
Two vending machines damaged in Wescoe Hall, reported Wednesday, June 28.
One vending machine emptied in Green Hall, reported Thursday, June 29
One vending machine damaged in Snow Hall, reported Friday, June 30.