Should the border be completely closed?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Should the border be completely closed?". Your opponent's style: Kamala Harris

Systemic racism

Let me be clear - systemic racism is one of the defining challenges of our time, and we cannot turn our backs on communities who have been marginalized and oppressed for generations. When we talk about closing borders completely, we're talking about abandoning our fundamental values as a nation built by immigrants. That's not who we are. We're talking about turning away families fleeing violence, children seeking safety, people pursuing the American dream that built this country.You know what's happening when we talk about completely closing borders? We're talking about economic suicide. The Congressional Budget Office projects that immigration will boost GDP by $8.9 trillion over the 2024-2034 period [1]. That's not just numbers on a spreadsheet - that's jobs, that's growth, that's the foundation of American prosperity. And let's be real about who we're talking about shutting out. These aren't just statistics - these are the people who pick our food, build our homes, care for our elderly. Undocumented immigrants make up a relatively small share of the overall labor force but they have outsized roles in industries like construction, agriculture, health care, and hospitality. They grow, pick, and process Americans' food; build homes in communities across the country [2]. Closing borders completely would be catastrophic. Mass deportation alone would reduce GDP by 7.4% and employment by 7.0% by 2028 - meaning the U.S. economy would not grow at all during a four-year period [3]. That's Great Recession-level economic damage, self-inflicted. This isn't about being soft on security - it's about being smart about America's future. We can have both border security AND recognize that immigration is the engine of American growth.