President Trump started off his campaign by promising to build a “big wall” and that would he deport millions of illegal immigrants because, in his own words, “they are all rapist”. His pledge became so popular that at almost every rally he had, supporters chanted “build that wall”. Now that he’s in the White House, it’s time to see if he will do what he promised.
“First and foremost, the President’s been very, very clear that we need to direct agencies to focus on those who are in this country illegally and have a record — a criminal record or poses a threat to the American people…That’s where the priority’s going to be.”
The State of the Border Now
The U.S border now is already a collection of walls and fences that stretch 652 miles of the 1954 miles that is the Mexico Border. USA today reported that “The wall is strongest along parts of the border that have large populations on both sides, such as San Diego and Tijuana. Each city runs right up to the border, so Department of Homeland Security officials have built up double and triple layers of fencing for 14 miles starting in the Pacific Ocean and heading east.”
How much will it cost to finish?
Trump has decided that he will take on 8 billion dollar project, however, most experts expect it to cost more.According to USA Today, “The Bernstein Research group conducted a study in July and estimated the total costs to be between $15 and $25 billion.”
Can Trump do it alone?
Trump can start off the project, but it is unlikely that he will be able to finish it. In fact, when Congress passed the Secure Fence Act in 2000, they approved the approximately 700 miles we have right now. In order to finish building the remaining 1200 miles, he would need funding from Congress. Although Congress is controlled by the GOP and multiple Congressmen have said they would support his endeavors, none of them have actually committed to funding the billions Trump needs.
Will Mexico Pay For It?
Trump originally claimed that Mexico would pay for the wall. He even said this after a meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto, the President of Mexico. President Nieto later said that he never said that he would pay for the wall
“It is evident that we have some differences with the new government of the United States, like the topic of the wall, that Mexico of course will not pay,” said President Nieto.
President Trump is now claiming that the U.S ie the taxpayers will pay for the wall now, but then later Mexico will pay us back. It is unclear how Mexico will pay us back either through withholding remittances (which require legal actions by Congress) or some other method.
Trump promised in a tweet last night to clarify his plans by potentially pushing through an Executive Order today, but given his past promises can we really count on him to do so?
Stay tuned.
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