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Nearly 2000 migrants are arriving. If you could have seen the map that they showed the way the cartel is moving drugs. So swelling beyond its limits that sees more than 200 lb of marijuana. The city has no choice but to bust migrants elsewhere. These may be the stories you often hear from our border cities, but they don't show the full scope of what it's like living between two countries. To me, it's what the United States is all about. They talk about the United States being *** melting pot, right? And so we're *** little bit of that melting pot. The border is *** really magical place. It really contradicts *** lot of notions about citizenship. This is clarified, You know, I'm *** proud American. I'm proud to be *** United States person. I'm very proud Texan and I'm proud to be *** Latina. We all are very multifaceted and if you want to see that in action, you should go to *** border town. The United States Mexico border is defined as the area 62.5 miles north and south of the boundary. This space contains over 15 million people and that population is expected to double by 2025. This includes Laredo texas, one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. Laredo and other border towns have *** rich history embraced by its residents. Executive director of investigating reporters and editors. Deanna fuentes is one of them. You know, for the longest time. Of course Laredo was part of Mexico. Um it wasn't until the treaty of Guadalupe that it used to be. It was one big city and the river ran through it. The separation created *** whole new world for the citizens of Laredo, *** place where traveling across country lines used to be *** matter of *** simple walker drive. The intertwined communities continued their close contact through generations and the story of Maria Castillo as parents serves as evidence. My dad is from colorado just became *** U. S. Citizen. So it's been mostly *** mexican citizen his whole life. And my mom actually met him at *** bar on the mexican side even though she lived on the american side, both of them have family on both sides of the border. They actually were together while living on opposite sides as Laredo grew over time. So did their, our biggest event of the year was the George Washington's birthday celebration. It still is. So you would think we'd be honoring Benito juarez for example. Right But no we honor George Washington. Right? That's the big deal. The George Washington celebration illustrates how two cultures merged to create unique traditions for generations. That merging of cultures is also reflected in their daily lives. I'd say there's *** lot of movement in both directions. The ports of Laredo is the busiest ports along the US mexican border and the third busiest in the nation. Work permits to cross the river and enter the U. S. Side of Laredo are not difficult to obtain. You need *** bigger permit, *** longer permit, *** more intense permit to go past san Antonio for example or to go past the border patrol checkpoint. But *** lot of people don't, they just come and live in Laredo, the workforce varies, but as *** trade town, the top three areas of employment are are office and administrative support, sales and transportation and material moving. Despite the bustling trade ports and companies moving goods in and out of Laredo, those who work outside of these industries are often below the poverty line. Four out of 10 households in Laredo are below the poverty level, making it the poorest metro area in Texas. Yes, we're definitely poorer than other parts of Texas. So there definitely could be investments to empower the local community that would be better spent than on immigration enforcement. The citizens of Laredo not only have to wrestle with high poverty levels, they also deal with the impact of stereotypes on *** political level. It used to be it was *** lot easier when the United States needed the labor force right? And there was *** group of people that wanted to come work, they didn't want to live here, they just wanted to come work, it worked well for generations where *** group of people would come and then they make their money and then they go home and there was no big deal and then suddenly they didn't want to do that and they made it more difficult and then it became to the point where it was too difficult for them to go back. So now suddenly you've got all these people having to stay here. They didn't want to stay here in the first place, but here they are and now they're stuck here because they need to earn money. I think *** lot of times people I think officials to the north, the national officials tend to just assume that you know what's right for the border. Usually we don't have like representation of people from border towns who don't who aren't really powerful and where it became *** problem was when they send troops to the border. You know every now and then they made *** huge bust and you know the world's largest plane load of cocaine. Right okay so that sounds good but it was stopped by border patrol at the border, that's what they would have done anyway. So you could say we sent the troops to the border and we're protecting our borders from what I mean, The drug people were still getting through, that's not what you were stopping. You were stopping the poor guys who don't know any better. The military station of border towns can leave the wrong impression for the rest of the country. They think of my God we're being overrun by drugs and criminals and they're all rushing over here to the United States without knowing real people lived there and so we would have people coming from Connecticut or you know Missouri and Ohio that we're interested in jobs where they were applying for jobs and some of them were scared because it's the border oh my God the border and they come down and we'd show them and we have *** grocery store. You know we we've got art shows, we have museums. The arrival of the arts is *** sign of *** flourishing community. Another sign of growth. Residents now have the opportunity to earn *** degree from Laredo's first four year college. Laredo missed out on educating and retaining people that contribute to their community so much because it mitigated the brain drain because I think *** lot of people felt like they had to leave to get *** quality education and were part of the texas ***. And M. System which helped us tremendously and increased what we have, we got even have *** doctorate degree now tammy, you became *** four year university in 1995. Ever since Laredo has made great strides in developing small businesses. In 2022 the U. S. Department of Commerce invested $1.5 million to support small business development in Laredo. Eu has brought in the arts um not just improving education in general, there's some really fine artists in that town. Uh And so it's brought it has helped bring in big businesses which helps increase jobs which you know everything just feeds on itself which I think has helped make the city bigger and and promoted it. Education was one of the major getaways in Laredo's growth, although there are still many social problems that locals face Laredo. Like many other border towns, it's home to american citizens who embrace their unique experience. I mean you know I tear up the star spangled banner and I can tear up at *** mariachi song. You know, it's like I can do both and it makes me happy if people have an opportunity they should go to the border there. You can see the U. S. And Mexico merging and um and in *** good way and I think keep an open mind and come see the border for yourself. You know, set aside all the politics, all the election nearing everything else. Just just for *** minute and come look and see for yourself. I think you'll like it.