Rep. Van Drew: Closing Southern Border Would Damage Trade

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-N.J. says closing the southern border would hurt U.S. trade with Mexico.

Van Drew made his comments on Wednesday during an interview on Hill.TV.

"I don't want to see the borders closed," Van Drew said.

"We do a lot of trade with Mexico, and I know for a fact that if we close the borders, not only will it hurt Mexico, it will hurt the United States as well.”

Van Drew maintained the U.S. should have “safe, intact, borders,” which he said should include an “actual physical border.”

"It has gone on for so many years," he added. "It is a display of the dysfunction that people who are on the outside don't like."

"I would think a more intelligent and better way would be to begin this bigger picture discussion in the longer term of how we're just going to settle this issue once and for all," he said, referring to immigration reform.

Trump has been threatening to close the southern border to fight illegal immigration, but he appeared to take a step back on Tuesday.

• Kudlow: Mexico Border Closing Must Balance Trade, Security
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