“There will be no wall.”
My guess is that there will some wall - the question is how much? It is too easy to build a a few miles in a high profile area.
The Plan which has been released lays out three phases, starting in the urban areas that straddle the border, like San Diego, El Paso, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley (McAllen and Brownsville) - but “Phase Three” is the bulk of the rural stretches.
My guess is that they will build bigger and better barriers in the cities, but enthusiasm and funding will likely peter out after a couple of years, before the rural areas are done (but they will have more sensors and Border Patrol).
Illegal immigration is already plummeting. As other policies start to bite (like cutting off benefits and expediting deportations), the problem could well fade from people’s priorities. Other problems will no do doubt crop up and steal the spotlight.
Enough wall to extract loud howls of pain from the left, will likely answer the mail on keeping the campaign promise.
“but enthusiasm and funding will likely peter out after a couple of years”
I predict just the opposite. The wall has become symbolic of the need to stop the evils of globalisation at the border. Everytime there is a terrorist attack or an illegal immigrant crime or a drug problem, the calls for a border wall will be renewed. Also the wall will likely become a major tourist hotspot so the resistance from some border towns will likely fade.