According to U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, one cause of the dwindling number of shoppers crossing from Mexico to shop in McAllen, TX and other cities is the anti-Mexican rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Harsh rhetoric is coming from the President when he says ‘Mexicans are rapists, murders . . .,” Cuellar told the Rio Grande Guardian. “If you are a Mexicano, are you going to spend money in the U.S.?” The Congressman added that some Mexican visitors fear customs officials will confiscate their visas, which has been occurring more frequently since President Trump took office.

Cuellar also expressed concerns about renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Customs brokers and freight forwarders are holding off on buying warehouses and equipment. The reason? “It is the uncertainty,” Cuellar said. “That is what we are facing on the border.”

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