LAREDO, Texas (April 1, 2019) – Laredo Mayor and Texas Border Coalition Chairman Pete Saenz today issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s threat to close the U.S. border with Mexico to stem the flow of refugees from Central America:

“President Trump’s threat to close the border would be catastrophic and immediate, not just for border communities but also for the nation as a whole.

 “U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan says $2 billion worth of economic activity occurs daily on the border – providing Americans with good jobs and solid wages, all of which could be lost if the border closed. If Commissioner McAleenan is right, this represents about 4 percent of the U.S. economy.

 “Closing the border would cause an immediate depression in border state communities and, depending on the duration, a recession in the rest of the country.”

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About the Texas Border Coalition

The Texas Border Coalition (TBC) is a collective voice of border mayors, county judges, economic development commissions focused on issues that affect 2.5 million people along the Texas-Mexico border region and economically disadvantaged counties from El Paso to Brownsville.  TBC is working closely with the state and federal government to educate, advocate, and secure funding for transportation, immigration and border security, workforce development, economic development and health care. For more information, visit the coalition website at www.texasbordercoalition.org. Follow TBC on Facebook and Twitter  [#TXBorderCoalition] to keep up to date on all of the latest news about the coalition and its activities.