Worried business owners in El Paso told MSNBC reporter Maria Atencio on Tuesday that they're facing economic 'devastation' if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to completely shut the U.S.-Mexico border.
"People here are very concerned, to say the least," said Atencio, noting that "nearly half a million shoppers, students, tourists who cross the US border everyday" and contribute millions to the local economy. "You can imagine the concern from small business owners, people who live and work at the border, and those who work in the produce sector. They call this move from the president potentially disastrous."
"For us, as a company it would affect us a lot," said Lila Gonzalez, owner of Matas Produce. "75% of our customers are restaurant owners and grocery store owners, so down the line it's just going to affect everybody."
"We might have to close down, for that matter," added Ysidro Lopez, owner of Las Cruces, another produce company. "We might have to close 50% of the business in the United States so far as the produce is concerned."
El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, a Republican, said he was opposed to Trump's proposal.
"It would be devastating to El Paso, the state of Texas, and the United States," he said. "We're the tenth, or eleventh largest land port out of the United States. We have $101 billion annually going in imports and exports. It would be a devastating impact to the entire region, but also to the United States as a whole."
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