Pace of border wall construction doubled, work on private land begins

Washington Examiner ^ | September 9, 2019 | Paul Bedard

[BeauBo]

Compared to the last wall building effort in 2006 under President George W. Bush, when it took two years to start digging on approved projects, the Trump administration has cut that to (Started in just) 9-11 months, said a senior administration official.

And once the $3.6 billion in money redirected from the Pentagon lands in the hands of border officials, they expect the construction of 2-3 miles a week will surge (In addition to projects funded from other sources - over a mile per day in total)...

The officials said that the U.S. Border Patrol’s priority has first been to replace useless walls in key areas, mostly on federal land, where there is a high probability of illegal crossings.

Trump’s team has focused on those areas, installing a new “border system” that includes the high wall, lighting, special technology to identify crossing attempts, and an access road.

“This isn’t a vanity wall of the president’s. It’s not a vanity wall,” said one official. “This president has listened to the experts, and this president is delivering on what the experts have been asking for, make no mistake,” added the official.

Another said, “This isn’t like we’re building in areas just to show progress. We’re building where border patrol said their priorities are.”

In addition to replacing the old wall, the administration has identified a new project for 100 extra miles in the Rio Grande Valley, where illegal crossings are heavy.

Those extra miles will begin soon now that the administration has started to buy private land.

“You are going to see the pace of this construction of new linear miles in areas that were not federally owned before start to accelerate over the coming weeks and months,” said the official on background.

[BeauBo]

Nothing really new here - just confirmation, and clear description, without a bunch of anti-Trump spin.

[monkeybrau]

Now look for the links to articles reading “Not one mile of wall has been built” - despite this.

[rktman]

Stop the H8. Never mind. Build the wall. 500 feet south of the present border. What's methico gonna do? Call the u.n.? 🙌🐎💩

[cuban leaf]

I just thought of something:

Imagine drones constantly running up and down the length of the fence, and there are recharging stations at the top of the fence every mile or so, enabling the drones to automatically land on them and recharge.

There could be 24 hour electric drone presence constantly running the length of the fence, constantly sending back video and even including software to recognize people and call their presence out to manned guard stations.

[metmom]

Those extra miles will begin soon now that the administration has started to buy private land.

Buy.

How nice to read instead of eminent domain.

[joe fonebone]

Imagine a large blimp at 10 thousand feet with radar, live video feed and thermal video....oh wait, we already have this... one blimp covers hundreds of square miles....so why does the border patrol not get this real time info..... because the military is not allowed to give this info to the border patrol.... classified and all....now imagine if Trump allowed this info to be passed on in real time....

[Balding_Eagle]

That is, essentially, what eminent domain is.

[cuban leaf]

i.e. we could easily control the borders if we felt a strong enough need.

Personally, I would like to see it patrolled by A-10’s. But that’s just me. :)

[metmom]

As opposed to just seizing it?

[DIRTYSECRET]

I would think the landowners would build first on their private property. Borrow the money and let the government(military) pay them back.

[BeauBo]

"Imagine drones constantly running up and down the length of the fence"

Drones of varying types have already been used regularly for border enforcement. Big increases are underway, as part of CBP technology programs, and new Military support.

Fixed cameras, alarm systems and sensors are great for monitoring the fixed border line, while drones are also great for tracking intruders.

Beyond these existing types of remotely piloted aerial drones, new varieties of terrestrial patrol robots (semi-autonomous or autonomous) will also be able to deploy quickly, after the hard work of building good barrier and patrol road are is complete.

[BeauBo]

"one blimp covers hundreds of square miles....so why does the border patrol not get this real time info"

The Aerostat program has long provided real time feeds to Border Patrol CBP. Aerostat is being expanded under CBP's increased technology funding, but the program has always had a vulnerability to weather conditions, like high winds.

[InterceptPoint]

Does anyone know the total length of the fence that is required?

Are there areas where the terrain itself is a sufficient barrier?

[Ex gun maker.]

Unlikely that any terrain is sufficient with the right vehicle and supplies.
I’m surprised not to see more use of balloons.
Hot-air or just massed helium.
All they need is to be able to glide across the worst ravines while moving with the wind.
I’ve had a Rokon 2x2, amazing capability off-road.

[BeauBo]

“Does anyone know the total length of the fence that is required?”

DHS has had to analyze the crap out of each mile of the Southern border, for several pressing reasons:

1. For their own operational management. It is literally an ongoing life and death issue for them.

2. They must justify their budget requests to the OMB (Executive Branch) and CBO (Legislative Branch). Each has a wolf pack of accountants and analysts who will pick them apart with every imaginable criticism.

3. They were ordered by the the President (Executive Order 13767), during his first week in office, to build a barrier and develop a plan to achieve full operational control of the Southern Border.

The result of the analysis is that we need 1,100 miles of barrier.

About half of that is already funded (529 miles), and some more money will likely come next year.

Each segment is prioritized. The first 300-400 miles on the DHS priority list (border cities and the Rio Grande Valley), accounts for over 80% of current illegal immigrant traffic.

We currently have essentially three border barrier programs going, which use different priority criteria. DHS is funded by direct Congressional appropriation (about $1.4 billion/year). Military Counter-Narcotics ($2.5 billion this year), which is targeted against drug smuggling corridors); and Military construction funds ($3.6 billion this year) diverted under the emergency declaration, which is targeted in support of the Military’s mission to support DHS (which excludes direct law enforcement).

Even though everything being built is in areas where we will eventually need barrier, it is not all going strictly down the DHS priority list. Given that caveat, it is pretty much going down the priority list.

The three biggest areas for illegals - the Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, and Yuma; are all getting massively upgraded (essentially shut) under the existing funding. San Diego will be done in January.

Most of the mileage now funded will likely be completed by the end of next year (2020), but some of the contracts will likely extend well into 2021.

The President is asking for $8.6 billion next year (enough to essentially finish contracting the whole 1,100 miles needed). Congress is likely to appropriate the $1.4 billion in the baseline budget, for about 75 miles around Laredo (the last big urban gap left wide open). Then we will see if the President has more tricks up his sleeve to free up additional funding (likely).

[Balding_Eagle]

Except by Leftists (some with an R and most with a D behind their names) property isn’t seized without just compensation.

Corruption by Leftists has made the practice more common in recent decades, but it isn’t legal or moral.

There is a legal provision, and it is inevitable that it will be used for The Wall many times, that when a property owner has property that is legitimately needed by the government (Interstate highways and The Wall are good examples) and the property owner refuses to let go, the government can step in and ‘seize’ the property.

However the property owner MUST be fairly compensated.

Candidate Trump spoke about this a number of times during the campaign.

When the property is ‘seized’ for The Wall we will, of course’ hear endless sob stories of families ‘sacred grounds’ being stolen by Donald Trump personally.

[Balding_Eagle]

Gives us your estimate of how effective that concept would be with the caravans of thousands of people?

[InterceptPoint]

Thanks much for that excellent reply. I’m betting funding of the wall is going to be a big issue in 2020. An election year.

Trump will need to demonstrate that the flow has stopped or at least slowed way, way down in those areas where the wall has been completed. So I’m waiting to see the traffic statistics for those areas as they are finished.

Popcorn time will last 10 months next year.

[joe fonebone]

That would depend upon the number of agent’s and how they are armed

[The Westerner]

Thank you, Beau, for a succinct, thorough summary about the border wall construction project.