McConnell: closing the border would have ‘potentially catastrophic economic impact’

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned on Tuesday of the “potentially catastrophic economic impact” if President Trump closed the southern border.

“We certainly have a crisis on the border. I think the president’s right about that. Closing down the border would have potentially catastrophic economic impact on our country, and I would hope we would not be doing that sort of thing,” McConnell told reporters.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office earlier in the day, the US President Donald Trump said that if Congress failed to pass stricter immigration laws, he would either shut the border or “close large sections of the border.”

“If we don’t make a deal with Congress, the Mexico border’s going to be closed. 100 percent,” Trump said. “Or we’re going to close large sections of the border, maybe not all of it. But it’s the only way we’re getting a response, and I’m totally ready to do it,” Trump said.

“The economic disaster to the country would be huge, and my guess is that cooler heads will prevail upon the president not to do it. It would be a disaster for him and a disaster for the country,” also warned Senate minority leader Charles Schumer in response to the threats imposed by Trump.

Moreover, the US Customs and Border Protection announced last week that more than 76,000 undocumented immigrants had crossed into the United States in February, which is an 11-year high.

US President Donald Trump last Friday had threatened to close border with Mexico to trade if immigrants are not stopped. Mexico has said it does not act on the basis of threats.

Trump’s border-shutdown warning came more than a month after the end of a partial government shutdown triggered by a fight in Congress over Trump’s demands for funding for the wall at the Mexico border.