Mexico border wall is high on the agenda of President Donald Trump and White House has set the ball rolling to obtain necessary funds. It would need at least $1-billion for a start to build 62 miles of the wall and the breakup of the 62 miles is 48 miles of new wall. The balance would be for replacement of some existing fencing along the southern border.
CNN reports that White House has requested for a modest funding of $999 in its budget supplement towards defense and border security spending. These 62 miles involves 14 miles in San Diego, 28 miles of new levee wall barriers in the Rio Grande Valley region, six miles of new border wall also in the Rio Grande Valley region and 14 miles of replacement fencing in San Diego (this could include some work in concrete).
Why the wall?
Donald Trump is determined to build a border wall along the entire US Southern border. It was a part of his presidential campaign and he had indicated that Mexico would pay for it. However, in order to make a beginning, funds are essential.
The requirement is broken up year wise and the White House has asked for $1 billion in its supplemental for 2017. Subsequently, it will need another $2.6 billion towards border infrastructure and technology in 2018. The estimates for a full wall along the Southern border could be in the region of $12 billion to more than $20 billion.
It is evident that the Trump administration is trying to bolster its border security and make it as foolproof as possible to eliminate entry of unauthorized people from any route.
Will it be of concrete?
President Donald Trump had a vision to build a concrete wall throughout but there is one line of thinking in the DHS; that a see-through fencing would be a better option. Such a wall would provide visibility of activities on the other side of the border with Mexico. The federal government is, therefore, enquiring into both the options and is inviting bids for two types of construction – one of concrete design, and the other of non-concrete designs.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly admits that it will take time to build the border wall but he was not in a position to give any timeframe or an estimate of the cost.
