Washington Post: Wall a Bad Investment

Donald Trump insists that a formidable wall along the twisting US-Mexico border – about 1,900 miles in length– is the only solution to what he calls an immigration crisis. Economists argue the wall will do little to reduce illegal migration. Also, the wall “would hurt the U.S. economy because there would be fewer workers and lower output,” report three economists who modeled the wall’s impact, as described by Heather Long for the Washington Post. The economists relied on data analysis and modeling as well as the fact that already one third of the border is walled or fenced. Meanwhile, migrant workers can enter the country by boat or plane. Wages of unskilled workers would increase by 58 cents and incomes of high-skilled workers would decrease by $7.60 – a terrible bargain. Also, the US economy would shrink by about $4 billion per year. Any large infrastructure project like a border wall requires detailed analysis rather than speculation and wishes about what such an investment might accomplish. – YaleGlobal