Residents of several towns along the California-Mexico border are indifferent to President Donald Trump's warnings of an imminent wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, The New York Times reports.
Trump's demands for $5.7 billion in border wall funding led to a 35-day partial government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, but the president, during his State of the Union address Tuesday, called for funding "to confront an urgent national crisis" ahead of a looming Feb. 15 deadline for negotiators to reach agreement or potentially face a renewed shutdown.
"The Congress has 10 days left to pass a bill that will fund our Government, protect our homeland, and secure our southern border," he said during his speech.
"Now is the time for the Congress to show the world that America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers out of business."
Ferdinando Galeana, the owner of D'Poly, a Mexican restaurant in El Centro, told the Times Trump's rhetoric was not of any benefit.
"What we need here is someone to help people looking for jobs," Galeana said. "The things he says, they make me laugh."
Cecy Magallanes, a school bus driver who lives in El Centro, said Trump's message was different from "what we're seeing here."
Aleyda Montejano, a student who lives in Imperial and goes to hairstyling school in Mexicali, says she does not agree with the way Trump talks about Mexicans.
"The reason people come here is to have a better life," she said. "But, about the border, there are some people that cross illegally and that’s not right."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.