The US-Mexico Border Wall was an election promise of Donald Trump during his presidential campaign. Eight prototypes of the proposed wall have now been built in San Diego. These are undergoing tests to check for adherence to various parameters that have been identified. The tests pertain, basically, to the strength of the structures to withstand breaching by different types of equipment. The wall is meant to check entry of illegal immigrants from across the border and into the United States.
NBC News reports that special teams to undertake the assessment were drawn from U.S.
Customs and Border Protection forces, and they had to check whether the thirty feet high wall could be breached by any known means.
What did they look for?
A set of rigid specifications had been laid down for the prototypes of the US-Mexico border wall that were to be built in San Diego. There are gaps in the walls and fences that already exist on the nearly 2000 mile stretch of the border, and unauthorized persons use these gaps to cross over into the United States. Such persons are usually illegal immigrants and drug smugglers.
The Special Forces were brought in to assess the prototypes and stayed at the site for three weeks. Their task was to breach and scale the eight models using every possible piece of equipment from jackhammer to blow torch and hacksaws.
According to a report by the Customs and Border Protection Agency, the tests have noted the positives and negatives of each design and the final design would include the positives of each. It is probable that the authorities could opt for steel construction at the ground level because it would allow agents to see the other side of the wall quite easily and help surveillance.
Funds could be a hurdle
A total of eight prototypes of the proposed US-Mexico border wall were to be built as per plan - four of them out of concrete and four of non-concrete material. Another criterion was the height. They had to be of a minimum height of 18 feet, but they have now been built to an imposing height of 30 feet which could be a deterrent to unauthorized persons.
Finance for the wall appears to be a major issue. It seems it would require nearly $1.6 billion this year to build or replace 74 miles of barriers in Texas' Rio Grande Valley and San Diego with another similar amount next year. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump had indicated that Mexico would pay for the wall but, as things stand, that source of funding appears to be a distant dream. Obviously, the administration must think outside the box to come up with a solution.
