Southeast Hispanic student concerned with signing border wall executive order

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - With President Donald Trump's executive order signed, the construction of the U.S.-Mexico wall could begin within months.

A Southeast Missouri State University student from Mexico said it's a campaign promise he never thought would come true.

"I honestly didn't believe that it was going to happen at all," Jaime Zarate-Sada said.

Zarate-Sada is a senior at Southeast. He heard Donald Trump's promise to build a wall during the campaign, he tells me he didn't believe it would at the top of the new president's agenda.

"I thought it was all rhetoric at first," he said."Just trying to get voters, but it's crazy to see that it's something that will actually be happening."

"I just signed two executive orders that will save thousands of lives, millions of jobs and billions and billions of dollars," Trump said.

On Wednesday, Mr. Trump signed orders to begin construction on the US-Mexico border wall and increase enforcement officers to carry out deportations.

The order could add more than 5,000 new U.S. customs officers.

"A nation without borders is not a nation," he said. "Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders. Gets back its borders."

Jason Sides is a political professor at Southeast. He said Trump's executive orders may seem fast for some.

"He's taking this opportunity to very publicly demonstrate that he is trying to remain committed to the promises he made in the campaign," Sides said.

Sides said the use of executive orders is common in new administrations.

"More recent presidents have found it to be more convenient to kind of circumvent congress to work through these executive orders," he said.

Some serious promises, Zarate-Sada said, have people like himself worrying about their future in America.

"I've always planned to stay," Zarate-Sada said. "Now I don't know how this all will affect it, and I hope it doesn't really affect it and if it does, it doesn't affect it much.

That executive order does not cover the cost of the wall.

Even though Mexico's president has said they would not pay for it, President Trump reassures that Mexico will reimburse the U.S. taxpayers.

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