To build or not to build? That is the question. The case for building a wall on the United States-Mexico border has been a very controversial issue over the past decade. A compelling argument could be made by either side of this crucial topic. There are benefits and disadvantages for creating such an extravagant piece of infrastructure. This subject can be most accurately displayed through the economic, social, and political lenses.
   

Additionally the history, characteristics, and demographics of the border and walls must be analyzed to fully understand the situation. Throughout history, walls have mostly been unsuccessful. The famous Great Wall of China did little to stop Genghis Khan and his Mongolian army from overtaking China. The Berlin Wall could not stand up to the rising influence of the principals of freedom and democracy in Germany. History is deemed to repeat itself. The United States-Mexico border is nearly 1,989 miles long and is tangent to the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The Rio Grande River encompasses a considerable portion of this boundary. According to Pew Research Center, there are 11.3 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.
   

Initially, the economic lense most effectively negates the proposal of a border wall. A wall of this magnitude would clearly have an enormous cost to it. The United States would have to solely finance the wall. Mexico is a sovereign state that makes its own decisions. Thus, the notion of “forcing” Mexico to pay for the wall, or at least split the cost, is not a pragmatic approach to the question at stake. Also, a wall would have to overcome the topography of the land and water, natural disasters, transportation logistics in harder-to-reach areas, labor costs, land acquisition costs and surveillance equipment which adds to the cost. The height of the wall will multiply its cost even more exponentially, depending on how high it is built. Estimates have been between 30 and 40 feet, along with taking appropriate security measures to follow, for the wall to be somewhat effective. The wall would need to have protective equipment installed, such as patrol cameras. This will be devastating to an economy that is trying to recover from the 2008 Great Recession. The border will become a recurring cost that would build upon the already horrifying $19 trillion national debt. People most commonly commit crimes because of economic concerns. Money should be spent and invested in economic programs and job opportunities, rather than wasting it on a wall. It should be spent on fixing the cause not the effect.
   

Furthermore, the wall is unreasonable due to the social aspects of it. It is evidently illegal to live in the United States without a warrant, visa, or citizenship. However, as previously stated, this happens inevitably all across the country. Millions of Americans are disturbed that illegal immigrants have taken American jobs because they work for lower wages and longer hours. The line of reasoning that leads to a wall fixing this problem is inherently false. Barack Obama, the current President of the United States, has blatantly stated that deporting the 11.3 million illegal immigrants is “unrealistic”. Likewise, the offspring of illegal immigrants are United States citizens if they are born on United States land. If a way to deport all of the illegals was sensible, thousands of jobs will be disproportionately placed in known areas concentrated with undocumented immigrants, like in Florida, Texas, and California. Despite the illegal immigrant situation, over 6.6 million immigrants have become United States citizens legally over the past decade, and they are also taking naturalized Americans’ jobs. A wall could potentially keep out some illegal immigrants in the future, but not any legal immigrants. Illegal immigrants could still be smuggled across the border through underground tunnels, or other deceptive methods. It is psychologically innate in humans that a secure border will make them feel safer. However, people could attempt to enter the United States through other areas. For example, an illegal could try to travel by ship to a costal border or through the United States-Canada border. As a result, a wall would not do much to mend the occupation shortage for American workers.
Moreover, a wall would not work for political reasons. The first reason is illegal markets that are impossible to completely shut down. The United States-Mexico border is one of the largest areas for black market activity in the entire world. Though drug trafficking has been frequent in the United States southern border, drugs is still smuggled into this country in many other ways. The second reason is walls can not change policies. Both governments have their own national interests and ways to combat problems. In spite of this, the United States and Mexico are actively working to solve the issue in many ways that do not require a wall, which shows it does not need to be built.
   

Therefore, a border wall should not be built. These issues can be combated in many ways, but a wall is not one of them. The cost of a wall would be too expensive for United States taxpayers and government to pay for. The national debt is a growing problem and the funding of a multibillion dollar project would only increase it. Money should be spent to fix the cause, not the effect of the border. It should be invested in economic opportunities for the people of both countries to prosper and not be incentivized to take part in illegal activity, A wall would definitely not cause illegal immigrants already living in the United States to be deported. This could only be possibly done through illegal immigration reform policies. It also would not limit drug trafficking which is frequently moved underground. Drugs could be moved illegally through other United States borders. After all, Robert Frost once said,  “Something there is that doesn't love a wall”.