McConnell warns about impact of closing border

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Majority Leader McConnell says closing the U.S. border as President Donald Trump has threatened would have a “potentially catastrophic economic impact on our country.”

The Kentucky Republican told reporters on Tuesday that he hopes Trump won’t take that action. Trump last week said he’d seal the border in the coming days if Mexico did not immediately halt all illegal immigration into the United States. On Tuesday, the president said he’ll take a wait-and-see approach.

That’s good, McConnell suggested.

“Closing down the border would have a potentially catastrophic economic impact on our country,” he said, adding, “I would hope we would not be doing that.”

A closure would have enormous economic consequences for Mexico and the United States. Trump has threatened to close the border before but not acted on the threat.