Are we only getting 700 miles now or is this fake news?
“Are we only getting 700 miles now or is this fake news? “
My reading is that the $8.6 billion he is requesting for next year would build the 700 miles (at over $12 million per mile) - which when added with what he has already contracted, and is planned to contract this year; would complete the whole planned program.
As soon as the Trump Administration took office and issued the Border Security Executive Order, comprehensive planning was initiated, for a comprehensive solution to achieving “Full Operational Control” of the Southern Border.
The completed plan was delivered to Congress in March of 2018. It called for building a total of 1,100 miles of strong barrier, thousands of more full time personnel (Border Patrol, ICE and judges), and several technology programs, for a total of $25 billion over five years.
The plan targets the highest traffic areas first. The door is going to be pretty well shut in San Diego by Christmas, with what is already done, or under contract. What it looks like they will contract this year will make a major difference in the Rio Grande Valley (and elsewhere). President Trump is really getting to the point in the program where what they do will start taking big bites out of the traffic - which is why the Democrats have started fighting so hard to stop it.
2017 and 2018 funding has built around 40 miles of barrier (top of the line stuff), with 80 more miles contracted (breaking ground in the next few weeks and months). The money they just got ($1.4 billion appropriation, and several billion more in emergency re-programming) is going to target the Rio Grande Valley first - which is the hardest, most expensive, and most highly trafficked part of the border. Wall down there runs $20-25 million per mile. At least 150 of those most expensive miles are needed.
They had planned to contract a total of 234 miles this year for $5.7 billion, but they will have more money if all the emergency re-programming comes through (possibly over $8 billion total this year), so figure around 300 miles this year (including the hardest and most expensive parts). If the Rio Grande Valley gets buttoned up, everything after that gets cheaper, easier, and quicker to build; so 700 miles onto contract next year is possible (more long runs in the flat deserts).
120 miles already contracted, plus 300 this year, and 700 next year would build the 1,100 miles in the comprehensive plan submitted to Congress.
Meanwhile, the rural areas without barrier should start to see more police presence, and a variety of new technology capabilities are starting to roll out. There is so much time to detect and intercept in those extremely rural areas (often days) that the additional delay and deterrence provided by barrier becomes relatively insignificant, compared to the terrain itself.