Close the border

Now is the perfect time for President Donald Trump to close our southern border to all but commercial traffic.

Until the “caravans” disband and go home, we should not make even legal immigration available. With the cost to our government of undocumented immigrants presently in our country, estimated by some at more than $100 billion, it seems $5 billion for a wall is a small price to pay to keep undocumented immigrants out of our country. And until Congress gets off its butt and upgrades our immigration laws, a closed border seems appropriate.

Legal immigration is not offensive to any law-abiding American. The Statue of Liberty says nothing about giving us your criminals and dole-seeking sloths. Tired, poor and hungry and willing to work is a different story — our story. The legal ports of entry are adequate enough to serve those seeking America’s promise.

Congress is notorious for creating problems through its own greed and sloth. The government shutdown, the immigration dilemma, the profuse military solutions for other countries, the drug epidemic — they all fall on the shoulders of a slouching Congress.

I am not a fan of the president’s behavior, but his madness concerning the swamp and its ineffectiveness are right on. He should take adamant stances, such as closing our border, in order to make Congress act on the issue of immigration reform.

Richard Arnold, West Hartford