El Paso mayor: Despite Trump's State of the Union claim, our relations with Mexico thrive

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We in El Paso, Texas, are a community that transcends the border. While some are concerned about our proximity to Mexico, we choose to celebrate it. While others embrace building a wall, we remind them a fence already exists.

Our community has consistently been ranked as one of the safest in the U.S. Though President Donald Trump, in his recent State of the Union address, claimed the border fence is the reason for these accolades, it is not the full picture.

Our city police's community-relations efforts and the cooperation between our law enforcement agencies contributed to making our city a safe place to live and work before border fencing was put in place. In fact, between 1996 and 2006, the number of reported violent crimes fell by more than 34 percent. Construction on the border fencing in El Paso did not start until 2008 and it was completed by mid-2009. The barrier between El Paso and Juarez, Mexico, has appeared to act as a deterrent for non-violent crime, but it is our community’s investment in our public safety and the dedication of our law enforcement agencies that continue to keep us safe.

As a binational region, we are 400 years old and our city surrounds a mountain, with a state park within our city limits. Today, we are a global metroplex seamlessly blending U.S. and Mexican traditions and cultures. Families live and work on both sides of the border and our sense of community is strong.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2019/02/10/el-paso-mayor-dee-margo-trump-state-union-immigration-wall-column/2811248002/

This is an opinion piece in USA Today written by El Paso's mayor.

[UTUSN]

1. K&R