<p><strong>To the editor:</strong></p><p>Donald Trump is using average citizens who live paycheck to paycheck as leverage for his border wall. He sacrifices citizens who work everyday to keep us safe: Coast Guard, ICE, TSA and USDA employees. These citizens need a paycheck to put food on their tables and pay for everyday expenses.</p><p>Republicans have controlled the White House, the Senate and the House for the past two years. What excuse can be made for not building the wall before the Democrats took control of the House? Donald Trump promised, over and over again, that the Mexicans were going to pay for the wall. The Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill to fund the government before the shutdown started. House Democrats approved the same Republican bill as soon as they took control on Jan. 3. Donald Trump rejected the bill. He needs to stop using our federal workers for leverage.</p><p>Donald Trump does not want to debate the correct course of actions required to preserve our country. The nine representatives with congressional districts bordering Mexico oppose Trump’s wall. Texas Republican Will Hurd, with a district that covers 44 percent of the border, opposes Donald Trump’s wall. ICE employees who work the border say that they need more electronic surveillance and more personnel. The Mexican wall will be jumped over, dug under and busted through.</p><p>The Mexican wall does not deal with illegal immigrants coming over the 9,000 mile Canadian border. Canada has a very open policy towards refugees. The Mexican wall does not deal with illegal immigrants who arrive by airplane or by boat. They arrive by legal visa and then overstay their visa. The 9/11 terrorists got into the country by plane with tourist and business visas. Illegal immigrants who arrive by plane or from Canada represents over 50 percent. This problem does not have a simple solution.</p><p>My son-in-law, Kyle King, works for the Department of Agriculture. He is a Navy veteran. He and my daughter, Alexandra Tracy, recently returned from two years of Peace Corps service. My son-in-law just began working for the Department of Agriculture in December. They are desperate to put food on their table and pay for expenses. This shutdown is affecting my family.</p><p>But Sen. Todd Young, Sen. Mike Braun, Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, and Donald Trump continue to receive their extreme benefits provided to them by this country. They are unaffected by the pain they cause.</p><p><p><strong>Richard Tracy</strong></p><p><p><strong>Trafalgar</strong></p>
