BORDER/ECONOMY/IMMIGRATION/MEXICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump acknowledged Tuesday [4-2-19] that closing the southern border with Mexico could damage the United States economy, but said protecting America’s security was more important than trade. In remarks from the Oval Office, Mr. Trump reiterated his threat to shut the border if Mexico, America’s third largest trading partner, cannot restrict a flow of asylum seekers trying to cross into the United States. But the president’s economic team, concerned about the damage from such a move, said it was looking for ways to limit the fallout if Mr. Trump does do so…Republican lawmakers, economists and business groups largely disagree with that assessment and warned this week that closing the border could cripple the flow of goods and workers and devastate American automakers and farmers, as well as other industries that depend on Mexico for sales and goods.”
–Jim Tankersley and Ana Swanson, “Trump Vows to Close Border, Even if It Hurts the Economy,” The New York Times online, April 2, 2019