By JULIANA BERMUDEZ
Barely a month in office, President, Donald Trump is set on starting the project of building a stronger wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump insists that Mexico will pay for it and has suggested taxing all Mexican imported products, which concerns Mexican-American families.
Trump signed an executive order to start the project to tighten the border and immigration patrol. To pay for the estimated $25 billion wall, Trump has proposed taxing all Mexican imported products at 20 percent. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has refused to pay for such a wall.
The rift between Trump and the president of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, has raised concerns about the future of Mexican-Americans living in the U.S. Mexican-American families interviewed expressed concern about the direction of Trump’s policies.
“I have never seen my parents this scared to do anything, they are being cautious of everything they do because they think Trump is capable of anything, which is not fair to anyone they are American citizens who deserve to continue to live a normal life,” said Chris Sanchez, 22, of North Bergen.
Mexican-Americans Are Now Speaking Up
According to The Denver Pos Mexicans have began coming up with ideas on how they will fight back. If Trump continues to say he is building the wall and making Mexico pay for it, Mexico will no longer be friendly with America, and will let any Central America go through the border, because that will no longer be their problem.
Sanchez is a current college student who does receive government financial aid because he is a first generation college student, but with how see’s the new immigrant situation he is scared all his grants will not be given to him anymore or his younger sibling. The Sanchez family also owns a small family restaurant which they love and have great customers, but even the loyal customers have stopped going as much because they are worry about how much the economy will change. They do not know what to expect with Trump being our President.
“As the middle child, I grew up seeing my parents struggle to pay my older sisters college loans, but continued to stay motivated. They continue to remind us, that we must be successful and which was the main reason they migrated to this country. ” Sanchez said.
Maria Garcia, student of Ramapo College of New Jersey, of Mexican descent said,
“It is so heart breaking to have so many Americans friends who I have made here, to find out they are Trump supporters, and continue to be one even with all his unfair actions he wants to perform against Mexicans.”
If Trump continues to say he is building the wall and making Mexico pay for it, Mexico will no longer be friendly witAmerica, and will let any Central America go through the border, because that will no longer be their problem.
Mexican-American families such as Garcia’s family and Sanchez’s are both genuinely scared of what can happen to their families because they are immigrants, and are staying cautious of their every move.
This article did a great job of delving into the issues between Mexican-American families and Donald Trump. It provided statistical information about the potential wall while also gathering good quotes and insight from other people.