Located on El Centro’s Main Street, D’Poly and its clientele embody the biculturalism of border towns across the Southwest. Farm workers, white-collar professionals, big families and off-duty Border Patrol agents congregate here for tacos, sopes and flavored juices. Modern and minimalist, the restaurant’s gray walls and dark wood floors could be the backdrop of an elegant Crate and Barrel photo shoot — save for an arresting pink mural of Frida Kahlo that instantly sets the room apart. Flashes of pastel pop from behind a tiled bar, which includes a display of “Dia de los Muertos” statuettes.

[Read: State of the Union Fact Check: What Trump Got Right and Wrong]

English and Spanish are heard virtually interchangeably at table after table. Latin pop plays in the background, songs like “Dónde Estarás” by the Mexican electrocumbia musician Raymix.

Mr. Galeana, who owns the restaurant along with his wife, Teresa, said he and his family decorated with the idea of showcasing Mexican culture in a modern setting, a concept that “so often is lost” in Mexican restaurants in favor of stereotypical décor like sombreros.

“Our idea was to show that Mexico is not just what the stereotypes say: It’s so much more,” he said. “We are proud of our culture, and we want to show that.”

That is what many of those here say they wish the president understood: Immigration and cross-national exchanges are celebrated in these towns along the border.

Hildy Carrillo, the executive director of the Calexico Chamber of Commerce, has been sharply critical of President Trump’s immigration policies. She watched with exasperation last year when Mr. Trump called the replacement of the town’s border barrier “the start of our Southern Border WALL!” She said she feared the president’s remark would turn Calexico into an anti-immigration symbol and make it seem unsafe.