The old and tired liberal talking point is Don’t Build the Wall. The new hotness is apparently Tear Down the Wall. Or, if not, at least take down the razor wire that the Army has been attaching to the top of it. That’s the message coming from the town of Nogales in Arizona. Residents of this border crossing area feel that their town has been turned into a “war zone” and the Mayor is threatening legal action to force the government to remove all the Concertina wire. (Washington Times)

A small border town in Arizona declared a public relations war on the Trump administration Wednesday, demanding the feds cut down miles of razor wire that have been attached to the border wall in recent weeks to try to increase security ahead of the migrant caravans.

Nogales, a border-crossing town of about 20,000 people south of Tucson, says its main street has been turned into a “war zone” by the federal government’s buildup.

The city council voted unanimously to approve a resolution that not only demands the “lethal” razor wire be pulled down, and the mayor said he’s going to pursue a lawsuit to try to force the feds to comply with the city’s demands.

“We’re not going to allow this in Nogales,” Mayor Arturo R. Garino said.

First of all, the town doesn’t own the border wall. They don’t pay for its construction or maintenance and it’s part of the federal government’s infrastructure responsibilities. Even if that weren’t the case, most of the reasons the mayor is giving don’t make much sense.

His first claim is that the wire is more dangerous to Americans than to illegal aliens. “Kids are playing there, they kick balls, they go with their pets out there,” he said. If that’s the case, you need to have a word with the parents. What are they doing letting their kids play in Concertina wire? And if you’re walking your dog along the wall, use a leash.

Mayor Garino also pointed out that the town’s economy relies on tourism and day shoppers coming over from Mexico. That may be true, but the legitimate shoppers with the appropriate paperwork can come through the port of entry like anyone else, complete their shopping and go home. The tourists he relies on aren’t tunneling under or climbing over the wall.

Does Garino want his town to be a destination for legitimate tourism or for illegal immigrants swarming over the border from the next caravan? It sounds to me like somebody is just hoping to generate some headlines before the next election.