Here's where the Trump administration plans to build the border wall

In a February 25 memo to the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security identifies four sectors along the southern border that require reinforcement through barriers, light installation and other measures. Combined, the mileage amounts to approximately 218 miles of new or replacement barrier... The four sectors listed are: El Centro, Yuma, Tucson and El Paso...

In the El Centro sector, the Department of Homeland Security requests the replacement of around 15 miles of existing vehicle barrier with new pedestrian fencing, in addition to light installation. The project is located in Imperial County, California.

In the Yuma sector, the Department of Homeland Security has asked for assistance to replace around 36 miles of existing vehicle barrier and approximately six miles of "dilapidated pedestrian fencing with new pedestrian fencing," in addition to light installation. The areas are located in Yuma County, Arizona.

In the Tucson sector, the Department of Homeland Security requests replacing around 86 miles of existing vehicle barrier with new pedestrian fencing, in addition to light installation. The areas are located in Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz Counties, Arizona.

In the El Paso Sector, which includes New Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security requests replacing approximately 70 miles of existing vehicle barrier with new pedestrian fencing, in addition to light installation. Areas are located in Luna, Hidalgo and Doña Ana Counties, New Mexico.

Arizona (122 miles) and New Mexico (70 miles) are off to the races with this list.

Also, this 218 miles is just from the the $2.5 billion identified from Counter-Drug accounts.

There will also be 55 miles in the Rio Grande Valley from the new FY19 Appropriation, and an unknown number of additional miles from the $3.5 billion from Military Construction (MILCON) accounts under the National Emergency Declaration, and more miles still from the $600 million from Treasury asset forfeiture accounts.

They might drop contracts for 500 miles this year.

Here is a link to the actual DHS request to DoD, which lays out exactly where the new barrier will go (once DoD sends the money).

chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/program/documents/DHS%20Request%20For%20Assistance%20to%20DoD%20-%2010%20USC%20284%20-%2002.25.19%20(2)_0.pdf

The segments for which DoD just gave money, are:

Yuma Project 1. 5 miles of barrier, starting about a mile South East of the Andrade Port of Entry.

Yuma Project 2. 6 miles around Yuma (2 of them on the Colorado River), and also another 4 miles on the Barry Goldwater Range - which may have been overlooked in previous press reports, because it brings the total to 61, instead of 57 miles.

El Paso Project 1. 46 miles of segments, from 17.5 miles West of the Columbus Port of Entry, to 35 miles East. Roughly from El Paso, West to where the New Mexico border turns to the South.

There is not yet 500 miles under contract.

I was speculating that they might contract that much this year, given how much money has been talked about.

So far about 40 miles has been completed (which replaced existing barrier), and 80 more miles are on contract (which includes some of the first totally new barrier, where none existed before).

The three projects that DoD just sent money for, are expected to get about 60 miles on contract next month. The rest of DoD’s Counter Drug money is expected to contract 158 more miles sometime this year. The FY 2019 appropriation is to fund 55 miles in the Rio Grande Valley, which should be awarded on contract in the next few months. So that accounts for about 273 now specifically identified miles that are projected to be contracted this year.

But then there is about $4 billion more identified dollars which could also be contracted this year (most of it out of Military Construction accounts under the emergency declaration). I estimated conservatively that it might fund about another 225 miles this year (to bring this year’s total to around 500 miles), but that is just an educated guess. Miles can cost up to $25 million in the Rio Grande Valley, and as little as $4 million in flat desert.

So far, just 80 miles are on contract that is not yet built, but a tsunami of funding ($8 Bil) is just starting to arrive. By the end of the year, we could possibly put 500 new miles on contract, and have a total of over 600 miles completed or on contract.

The comprehensive plan to achieve full operational control of the border, that was submitted to Congress last year ($25 billion over five years) included 1,100 miles of barrier, personnel and technology. So getting about another 500 miles on contract next year would effectively contract all the barrier in the plan (although actually finishing the construction would take at least another year or two beyond that).

Getting the money for that last 500 miles next year will likely require another huge effort, and is actually even less likely than it was to get money this year.

But this year’s miles are more important than next year’s, because they are working down a priority list. This year’s contracting is the main battle in getting a serious wall built.

About half the border is so remote, that no barrier is planned - but more Border Patrol and technology is planned, to bring those areas to full operational control. While the barrier is being built, new capabilities are being fielded for the areas without barrier. Just like barrier building started off slowly, but is now set to ramp up sharply, so are some the other capabilities.

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