Thank you for your detailed and intelligent response. The wall is being built. Not as fast as we’d like, but if Trump can get 400-500 miles built by Election Day, he will certainly have bragging rights.
“if Trump can get 400-500 miles built by Election Day”
That is going to be very effective wall system. put in places highest on the priority list - the most effective miles. It is going to really make an impact.
The border cities and the Rio Grande Valley are really where you get large masses of people crossing illegally. 300-400 miles of border account for well over 80% of current traffic.
Over 40% now crosses in the ~100 open miles of border in the Rio Grande Valley - which is currently funded for closure.
The first five contracts have been awarded down there, and the rest should drop quickly after the public comment period closes on 26 September.
The three biggest corridors for illegals have traditionally been the Rio Grande Valley, San Diego and Yuma. All three (and more) will be closed with the existing money. San Diego will be done in just a few more months (Jan).
The early stages of the program required a lot of careful analysis, preparation and legal work. We are really just now entering full scale deployment.
If the President gets enough new money identified next year (he is asking for $8.6 billion, $5 billion of that in direct appropriation), the Program is now capable of contracting many hundred additional miles before the end of 2020.
Potentially, the whole 1,100 miles from the comprehensive plan could be funded and on contract at the end of next year. That would be challenging, but is likely that at least some additional significant amount (like the Laredo area) will be added to the total we will end up with, during next year. President Trump is not done yet.
I am guessing that President Trump will come through with hundreds of additional miles worth of funding next year, for construction to continue through 2021, even if a Democrat wins the presidency in 2020. If so, we will have reasonably effective border wall, including all the hardest, most expensive and most effective parts.
The 10 year baseline budget includes about $1.4 billion per year for barrier (50-100 miles of premium quality), so it would tend to run on auto-pilot after that, even without President Trump’s strong leadership.
This year (2019), and the emergency declaration, was really the main battle in the war to build the wall, and President Trump won. Another year of winning like this, and the job will basically be accomplished.