There's practically no way you can be alive in 2017 and not know who
Donald Trump is. And if you do know him, then you now about the wall between Mexico and the United States that he has been talking about for what feels like years now.
Back when the idea of a literal wall to stop illegal immigration (and make legal immigration that much harder) first started gaining steam in his presidential campaign, many of us rolled our eyes, while others took the time to point out how this wouldn't work, or ask how exactly this monumental scheme was going to be pulled off.
But now that he has made his way to office, many began to wonder if he actually intended on following through on one of his major campaign promises, an idea that soothed many Trump supporters who had anxieties over illegal immigration in the U.S.A.
Every now and then Trump reminds us that he still intends on carrying out these plans, though the disastrous events in Texas these last few weeks are bound to have taken precedent as of late. His statements have not ceased however, as he has clarified that the wall won't necessarily cover the entirety of the border.
The border, which stretches across four U.S. states, already has 600 miles of barriers, and Trump has said that due to the natural landscape less than half of the 2,000 mile frontier will need new developments. "You have mountains. You have some rivers that are violent and vicious," he said, "You have some areas that are so far away that you don't really have people crossing. But you'll need anywhere from 700 to 900 miles."
The project, having not been approved by the still-deliberating Congress, is still in its early stages. However, a picture has emerged from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection wing of the government, displaying a 150-foot no-man's land between the U.S. and Mexico. This area will be electronically monitored, the picture shows.
A CBP spokesperson said in an official statement:
"These concrete prototypes will serve two important ends. First, given their robust physical characteristics, like reinforced concrete, between 18-30 feet high, the concrete border wall prototypes are designed to deter illegal crossings in the area in which they are constructed."
"Second, the concrete border wall prototypes will allow CBP to evaluate the potential for new wall and barrier designs that could complement the wall and barrier designs we have used along the border over the last several years."
So far, Trump has asked Congress for $1.6 billion towards the project, claiming it will cost around $10 billion. However, many estimate it will cost more than $20 billion. Mexico's former leader Vincento Fox Quesada has been particularly critical of Trump given his unsubstantiated claims that his country will pay for the project, asking how that money would be better implemented.
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Each prototype is set to cost between $400,000 and $500,000. There is no news on when exactly building will take place, or any other details about the funding of the wall.
