Mayor Jenny Wilson heads for the border

SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah — The mayor of Salt Lake County is packing her bags and headed for the border.

Mayor Jenny Wilson is one of eighteen county leaders from across the country who are making the trip to El Paso, Texas.

The group takes off today and will meet for a briefing this evening.

While Salt Lake City is hundreds of miles from the border, Wilson asserts it still holds importance locally.

“We’re a western state, we have a relatively high Latino population,” she explained. “We have many people who came here as children who are now DACA protected.”

Wilson has been eager to visit the border after listening to many citizens on the issue.

“I have had conversations with DACA recipients, young people who remember their border crossing as a child,” she said. “This is a country they know, this is a country they are contributing to.”

The trip has a relatively truncated agenda and most of the events will take place on Wednesday.

The group will be visiting border patrol facilities, impoverished neighborhoods and the Port of Entry.

Wilson says the experience could shape her political beliefs and decision making going forward.

“My hope is to return with a more on the ground sense of how to better make policy or how to advocate to the federal government,” she said.

Not only will the venture feature a trip to the border, but in fact, the group will be crossing over as well.

“We’re actually going to cross the border into Mexico tomorrow for some time and be able to observe things on that side as well,” Wilson said.

The group is set to return home on Thursday.