Rocio Villalobos 
McAllen- On January 2, 2019, President Donald J. Trump landed in McAllen to visit the southern border.
The President has expressed his belief that there is a “crisis” along the border for which he is demanding $5.7 billion to build a concrete or steel beam wall.
“You have the crime, you have the drugs, then you have the people coming here illegally,” said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. “And that’s a humanitarian crisis, because no one should have to die trying to come to America.”
However, locals say that there is no crisis. McAllen was named the 7th safest city by Smart Asset and its crime rate is at a 30 year low.
During his visit, he made a stop at a border patrol station where agents briefed him on the situation with border security.
Standing behind a contraband display, the President said, “If we had a barrier of any kind, a powerful barrier… we would stop it cold.”
After his three-hour visit to South Texas, President Trump tweeted that the “humanitarian crisis… is a far worse situation than almost anyone would understand.”
The United States is currently experiencing the longest government shutdown in its history because the President has not been able to reach a deal with Congress to fund the wall.
President Trump said that If an agreement providing the funding is not reached, he is prepared to declare a national emergency which would allow him to exercise executive authority to command the military to begin constructing the wall.
Click on the video below to watch the text story.
