As I write this, our government is shut down, and a solution is nowhere in sight. What is going on? How did we get here?

During his campaign, President Trump said he would build a wall along our southern border — a wall he claimed Mexico would pay for. In 2017 and 2018, Trump was president and Republicans controlled Congress. If introduced, a bill funding the wall would have passed. But Republican leadership was not enthusiastic. Last December, under Republican control, Congress passed a bipartisan compromise bill funding the government. The bill included additional money for border security, but nothing for the wall. Trump agreed, until right-wing media celebrities insisted on the wall. Trump did an about face and threatened to shut government down if he didn’t get wall funding. Trump is demanding U.S. taxpayers to pony up money for his wall — lots of money.

President Trump wants $5.7 billion for his wall, but admits that will not be enough. He won’t say how much the wall will cost, but independent estimates put it around $70 billion, with $150 million annually for maintenance. This cost has to be considered in context of a newly stratospheric $21 trillion national debt, after just two years of Republican leadership.

Some argue the wall is worth the money. But it isn’t. It won’t provide the promised security. Most undocumented people in the U.S. entered legally but overstayed their visas. We currently have more undocumented residents from Asia than from countries to our south. A wall will not prevent illegal immigration from Asia. Drugs do enter the country from Mexico, but they come in vehicles through normal ports of entry. Increasing traditional forms of border security is the best remedy. Human trafficking is serious and must be stopped. However, U.S. border reports indicate that human trafficking is increasing along the Canadian border. Trump’s wall will do nothing to stop this. While some immigrants commit serious crimes, national data shows they are less likely to commit such crimes than are native-born Americans.

There are things we can do to improve security along all of our borders — things Democrats and Republicans agree on, such as more border agents with improved training and additional specialized high-tech equipment. This will cost money, but a lot less than a wall. And these changes will actually improve border security.

If you oppose spending billions on a boondoggle wall, I recommend you contact Rep. Hagedorn’s office and let him know. Rep. Hagedorn told voters he will be President Trump’s man in Congress and pledged to vote with the president in all things. But, our nation’s founders expected congressional representatives to thoroughly learn about an issue and then vote as the facts guide them. Please contact Rep. Hagedorn and ask him to help Congress find a bipartisan, cost-effective plan for border security and get our government working again. After all, Mr. Hagedorn is supposed to represent us, not President Trump or the Republican Party.

Debra Hogenson

Waseca