Mayor Kevin Faulconer defended the Dreamers and the value of NAFTA to San Diego’s economy in remarks Friday to South County business and political leaders.
“The young men and women who are here under DACA — this is the only country they have ever known,” he told a crowd of nearly 500 at the San Diego Convention Center.
He said protecting recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is good for the economy, since so many are employed, but also “simply the right thing to do.”
Faulconer called the North American Free Trade Agreement, which President Trump threatened to cancel and is now being renegotiated, a “story of success” that has generated $5.5 billion in export growth for the San Diego region.
“The strength of our relationship with Mexico is a competitive advantage,” he said. “There has never been a more critical time for border cities to champion our trade with Mexico.”
Faulconer, who is a Republican, said the San Diego region’s leaders need tell federal officials who “live thousands of miles away from our border…why NAFTA is so incredibly important.”
The mayor spoke at the South County Economic Development Council‘s 27th annual Economic Summit.
San Diego, whose city limits stretch to the Mexican border, is one of the cities represented by the South County group.
