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Operation Intercept

A man and a woman fill out forms with Mexican passports in the frame

Nixon and Reagan tried closing the border to pressure Mexico — here’s what happened

April 8, 2019Immigration

Twice in the last half-century the US has tried to use the border to force Mexico to bend to America’s will. The ruse failed both times. The history suggests that threats of border closure may be politically useful, but are never a real answer to human tragedy.

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