Defying Trump, Dallas and Fort Worth Mayors Lead Trade Mission To Mexico

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings is making a case against Donald Trump’s suggestion that the United States build a wall along its border with Mexico.
Rawlings, who led a joint trade mission to Mexico last week along with Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, has stated that the economies of Texas and Mexico are closely intertwined and the relationship is a win-win for both.
In a guest article written for Dallas Business Journal, Rawlings stated that Mexico accounts for more than a third of Texas’ trade with the outside world, amassing $94.5 billion in exports to Mexico and $83.5 billion in imports from Mexico in 2015.
More than 20 major Mexican-owned businesses operate in North Texas, with Dallas-Fort Worth being home to the sixth-highest Hispanic population among US metropolitan areas.
Rawlings has even criticized Donald Trump’s statements about Mexico and Mexicans. The wall that the Republican presidential nominee plans to build will serve as an “economic wall” rather than a physical one, Rawlings has warned, according to a report on The Dallas Morning News. 
“This is the sort of thing that slows economies down — when people start getting angry at each other, when people start talking about the other guy being bad and we’re good, we’re going to win and they’re going to lose,” Rawlings said in an apparent reference to Trump’s rhetoric against Mexico.
While Rawlings is a businessman-turned-politician, his comments cannot be treated as just another bout of political rhetoric, because reports say he even donated to many Republican candidates.
More than anything else, his visit sent a powerful message that Donald Trump’s harsh rhetoric about Mexico, immigration, and trade policies shouldn’t get in the way of Texas’ diplomatic ties to its southern neighbor.
In a press release issued on the eve of his trade mission to Mexico, Rawlings stated: “Mexican-Americans are key contributors to our economy and our culture. We must continue to leverage our relationships.”