Using that figure, the construction of a similar wall along our entire southern land border, would cost $1.6 million/mile x 5,000 miles = $8 billion.
Unless I've missed something, our Southern border with Mexico is roughly 2,000 miles long. Your figures work if you're talking about our entire land border area which would include Canada. So conceivably you could reduce your estimates by more than half if in fact you are just discussing the Southern border.
Another item you didn't discuss(for purposes of brevity?) was the potential for "boat people". If we seal our land borders, the potential could be significant I suspect. Now, surveillance over open water may in fact be a cake walk compared to surveillance over land, but it's something on which I'm not knowledgable enough to really say one way or the other. In any case, it's likely the coyotes will work any new border control to find weaknesses. We would need to be one step ahead, no?
One of my favorites from Sam Adams:
The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.
Eloquent thoughts and words from one of our best and brightest. You've asked the question, and I can only speak for myself, but I've had enough. I'm ready, if not as able as I once was, to rein in the noveau tyrant wannabes. The breaking/tipping point may come when we least expect it. A single spark from an isolated event might be what sets the Patriots off. We should all be considering the Boy Scouts motto shouldn't we?
And may God help us.
FGS
I did think about illegals taking alternate water routes, but didn't want to address that in this post. It was long enough as it was. :) We would have to devise a strategy for dealing with that (definite) eventuality, but I believe that sealing off the land routes is considerably more important.
Your Adams quote (especially the last fifteen words) is precious. He is among our most priceless national treasures.
I'm ready, if not as able as I once was, to rein in the noveau tyrant wannabes. The breaking/tipping point may come when we least expect it. A single spark from an isolated event might be what sets the Patriots off. We should all be considering the Boy Scouts motto shouldn't we? ... And may God help us.
There's not a word with which I disagree.
Stay well, and vigilant ...
~ joanie