KILIS, Turkey — Donald Trump isn’t the only one who thinks walls are the answer to an unchecked immigration crisis. In an old neighborhood in this ancient city, stone walls stained with soot lead to narrow alleyways where Syrian refugees make homes in dilapidated buildings.Before the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, Kilis had a population of 90,000. That number is now 230,000, with Syrians outnumbering Turks. It’s common to hear Arabic on the street. Sweetshops offer Syrian pastries sprinkled with ground pistachio.
