At long last, work on building the US-Mexico Border Wall has taken off with the first stretch planned in California. It was an election campaign promise of Donald Trump, and its purpose would be to check entry of unauthorized persons like illegal migrants and Smugglers.
Los Angeles Times reports that this wall would be a two-mile-long one, and will replace an existing structure of 1990 vintage made up of unconventional items like recycled metal scraps and landing mat. This is the first contract awarded by the Trump administration and is a part of the prototypes that were constructed as samples in San Diego.
The border wall
Customs and Border Protection have identified the location of the wall which will be in downtown Calexico. This portion of the US-Mexico border wall would be made of 30 feet high bollard-style posts that will thwart the designs of those who want to enter illegally. The location of the new wall would be in an area frequented by smugglers to bring people in through the water route. The work includes building a bridge over a river, and the timeframe for completion is 300 days. The contract is awarded to a firm of Omaha, Neb.
Donald Trump had assured that Mexico would pay for the wall but, from available indications, that is not likely to happen, and the finance would have to be generated through alternate means.
The Trump administration has cleared probable hurdles associated with the environment by waiving off many requirements in Calexico quoting a 2005 law. Under this law, the decision to grant exemption rests with the Homeland Security secretary. In case a wall is considered to be necessary from the security point of view and covers national interests, environment requirements can be waived off.
The wall will stop illegal crossings
The US-Mexico border wall is not something new. It has been there for years, but there are openings in the wall. Some of these are due to break in the fences or walls while others are because of rivers and difficult hilly terrains. Illegal migrants from Mexico made use of these openings to sneak into the United States.
Smugglers also used these entry points but, have modified their techniques and employ new age devices. Instead of tossing the drugs over the wall, they employ drones.
Anyway, a permanent wall would certainly be a deterrent and would be in line with the basic philosophy of guaranteeing safety for Americans from outsiders. It will be in tune with President Donald Trump’s slogan of ‘Make America Safe Again.’
