Deep Dive: Journalist Émilien Bernard journeys to US-Mexico border to explore inhabitants and sacred MAGA gospel wall

The US-Mexico border represents a longstanding geopolitical flashpoint where national security, migration flows, and cultural identities intersect, drawing intense attention from political movements like MAGA (Make America Great Again, the slogan and movement associated with former US President Donald Trump). From a geopolitical lens, the border symbolizes US strategic interests in controlling immigration and drug trafficking, while Mexico views it as a conduit for economic remittances and trade under agreements like USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade pact replacing NAFTA). The 'sacred MAGA gospel wall' likely alludes to Trump-era border wall constructions idolized by supporters as a bulwark against perceived threats, reflecting deeper power dynamics between federal policy and local border communities. As an international correspondent, this journalistic journey highlights cross-border human stories amid humanitarian challenges, where US border residents experience economic shifts from wall construction and enforcement, impacting binational families and labor migration patterns. Culturally, in the US Southwest and northern Mexico, the border fosters hybrid identities but also tensions, with MAGA symbolism amplifying divides in a region historically shaped by Spanish colonial legacies, indigenous lands, and 19th-century territorial disputes like the Mexican-American War. Key actors include US political figures promoting wall expansion for electoral gains and Mexican communities advocating for open trade corridors. Implications extend beyond the region, affecting global migration routes from Central America through Mexico to the US, influencing EU-US dialogues on asylum policies and trade negotiations. For global audiences, this underscores how domestic US politics reverberate internationally, potentially straining diplomatic ties and humanitarian aid flows. Nuance lies in the dual reality: the wall as both a physical barrier and a potent cultural icon for disparate groups.