Lately, there have been news stories expressing alarm about the rapid progress the Trump administration is making in building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Whatever the stories are nominally about – environmental objections, questions about contracting, local concerns – their true headline is this: President Donald Trump is finally building the border wall he has promised for more than a decade.
Construction that was slow in Trump’s first term, and abandoned during Joe Biden’s time in office, is now accelerating in Trump’s second term. The key was passage of last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included $46.5 billion for construction of what is now called a “smart wall” – that is, a wall that includes not only the basic structure but detection technology, cameras, lighting, and roads.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 221 miles of what is called primary smart wall are currently under construction. Contracts have been awarded and design is under way for an additional 370 miles. Another 44 miles of replacement wall are under construction, plus 183 miles of secondary wall to provide backup security in high-traffic areas where there is already a primary wall.
Things are moving quickly. “Construction crews are erecting five miles of wall a week, according to Customs and Border Protection officials,” reports the Washington Post. The crews are “introducing barriers in parts of Texas that did not previously have them and installing a second wall across much of California, Arizona, and New Mexico to further deter illegal immigration.”
It’s an extraordinary development, given the decade of political battle over the wall that preceded it. Trump, of course, made the promise to build a wall the centerpiece of his 2016 presidential campaign. When he won, stunned Democrats made opposing the wall one of their top priorities. Nancy Pelosi, who would become obsessed with resisting Trump’s every move, declared a border barrier “immoral.”
In the first half of his first term, Trump, new to the ways of Washington, failed to win funding for the wall. Then he lost control of the House of Representatives, and that was that. Trump repurposed some military funds to replace and shore up about 500 miles of existing but dilapidated barriers. With the wall a political flashpoint and the opposition party in control of the House, there wasn’t much Trump could do; he ended up building less than 100 miles of new wall.
Biden, of course, slowed the effort nearly to a standstill, and then shut it down altogether. Not only did Biden stop building any new barriers, he took the steel bollards that had been purchased for the Trump wall and sold them as scrap for pennies on the dollar. For wall supporters, it was a dispiriting elections-have-consequences moment.
Far worse, Biden opened the border and allowed millions of crossers to enter the United States illegally, with little or no vetting. The Biden influx, possibly 10 million or more, strained the resources of U.S. cities and towns, which struggled to support thousands of new residents, many of them ill-prepared to live in the United States.
The damage done by Biden’s border disaster was one of the key factors in Trump’s 2024 comeback victory. And now, Trump is prioritizing what he promised so many years ago. Notably, while immigration and deportations have become heated issues in this Trump term, wall construction hasn’t. Why not?
For one thing, there’s a lot going on these days. From the Iran war on down, other events are competing for the public’s attention. In addition, Trump is moving forward on so many controversial fronts – wars, tariffs, immigration and more – that, at times, he has simply overwhelmed the Resistance’s ability to resist. They just can’t keep up.
But most importantly, Trump’s striking progress on the wall is attracting less opposition because of Biden’s catastrophic record. Biden showed the nation the danger of a reckless open borders policy. Trump fixed it, but a future president can always pick up where Biden left off. A wall cannot prevent that entirely – but can make it more difficult. So in a very real and possibly lasting way, Trump is leaving the border far more secure than he found it.
Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.
Reprinted with Permission from CFIF.org – Byron York
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
Trump promised to secure the border. Biden said it couldn’t been done without new legislation.. Trump proved Biden wrong. What we actually needed was a president with the will to enforce the immigration laws already on the books. Thank you, President Trump for keeping your promise to secure this country’s borders,
Too bad America has not learned from the disaster caused by invasion in Europe.
Obama-Pelosi-Schumer-Biden all have American citizens ‘Blood on their hands”, for letting 20m 3rd worlders, criminals, rapists, and killers into our country.
Thank you President Trump, you are the greatest! President Trump never gives up, he is determined to do what he said he would do! He accomplishes what he says in spite of enemies fighting him in the process! God bless you and your family!
Somebody needs to be in jail for selling that material off at pennies on the dollar!!!
That is criminal!!
It didn’t take Trump long to close the border!!
Trump is leaving the border and everything else far more secure than he found it.
Add sensors
Drone ports
gunports
roving robots
Thank you President Trump and may Almighty God keep you safe
as you get this country back to the true law of the founding Father’s.
But the next Democrat dictator or I should say communist dictator will tear it down. You wait and see and this country will be overrun by criminals from all over the world. These communists want to replace the Americans with global citizens and make America an inferior country to China.
It’s about time, but it still needs surveillance. Thank you.
I think one of the reasons that wall construction has not been a major issue for the Dems is that they are focused on taking over the House and Senate in the mid term elections. I’m afraid if the Dems do take over, they will make a point of tearing down enough of the wall to help illegals come into the country.
God Bless You, President Trump, for keeping the promises you made to us! And for caring about this country! And God Bless the USA!!
It’s not illegal immigration; it is INVASION pure and simple. Maybe someday when we’ve learned, American culture will return.
As soon as another d bag democrat president wins the white house, the first thing the a..hole will do is start dismantling miles and miles of border wall, beginning at the most critical entry points, and again allowing millions and millions more illegals into the country, taking us back to the hellish scenario that the Joetard created, and undoing everything that Trump achieved. The second thing the dems will do is tear down the new ballroom, just to prove what ignorant and vindictive scum sucking reprobates that the party has become.
12 years too late… 30 million brought in under O and B
Many of the comments about future democratic leaders tearing down the wall could very well be true. There should be something that could be done to prevent that but guess we will never know. It blows my mind that things like Biden doing selling off parts of the wall and then simply halting the building of the wall could even be done without voter approval. Guess thats just the way things are but its so devastating to everyone, not just other parties but everyone! So many lives could have been saved, criminal activity prevented, not to mention the billions of dollars that could’ve been saved that were spent providing shelter, food and medical care for illegals. Just doesn’t make sense. A few years back I visited Vietnam while my friend worked and lived there for the American embassy. Just to get a visa, I had to prove how long I was going to visit, where I would be staying and I had to verify sufficient funds were in my accounts to cover expenses should something happen and I was delayed in leaving their country. Our country compared to many others is such a “easy push over” for people to come here illegally and live off taxpayers. Just such a shame!! I’ve traveled to many countries and have found none to be as “lax” (for lack of a better word) as our country is in allowing illegals to stay; then, we take care of those illegals, providing better care freely that most americans don’t have, and for those Americans with that care, the majority pay for out of their hard earned money. Shame Shame! I can’t think of any other country in the world that would do that for people entering their country illegally. Actually in most other countries, I believe if someone entered illegally they would be arrested and incarcerated until sent back at their own expense. This country needs to take a look at what we’re doing because what we are doing could actually destroy what we have as a country. America NEEDS THAT WALL AND MORE to protect that we have for our future generations.
The democrats ONLY plan is opposing everything Trump wants to accomplish! And get back into power by any means possible including ballot box cheating.
If the demoncrats get in power again…they’ll tear it down….and we will watch and do nothing–like we did previously.
Should study the wall that Poland installed.
it’s about time, thank you PRESIDENT TRUMP.
Is there ANYTHING that Trump’s dealing with that wasn’t caused by corpse Biden and the demolition crats??
Until a Democratic Party Crime Syndicate’s leader tears it down!
President Trump is simply the best President in my life time, which is a long time, and lest you think that characters like Bush and Biden, having set the bar low, we did have some greats, like Reagan and Eisenhower, but our dear President Trump is more excellent.
I so recall my parents. praising Eisenhower’s stand on the rights of Black Americans to go to the school of their choice, a republican, he did more for equal rights than any democrat in my lifetime.
Dear Reagan did the great tax brackets lowering, and this helped me as a young adult.
So Trump is still the best.
Good walls make good neighbors. Mexico has not been such a good neighbor without a wall/fence at the Mexican/U.S. border.
TGFT = Thank God For Trump
thank you BIG D.
the man knows how to get things done, in spite of TDS!
WHERE IS COMMONSENSE ?…….OUR U.S.A. NEEDS PROTECTION !!! …. THOSE IDIOTS THAT WANT TO DESTROY ‘THE WALL’, SHOULD BE ARRESTED FOR TREASON!!!!!!!!
The Democratic Party is a far, far worse enemy and more dangerous to all US citizens than the CCP and Iran ever will be.
This is why I voted for President Trump twice. I really wish he could run for a third term. He has accomplished more “good” for this country than any other president in the modern era. We must be sure to support and vote for GOP candidates in ALL of the upcoming elections. God Bless America and God Bless our great President Trump!!
Just build the damn wall…….ALL OF IT……At no point should there not be at least a 20-25 ft wall on the US Mexico border unless there the Rio Grade river is 200 ft below and even then I am not so sure it still should be done.All of this smart-fart technology is fine but it should be used to supplement a physical wall.
Promises made, promises kept…
That is great news, especially with the RINOs coming out publicly. It’s time to prosecute all those traitors!
Thank you for “good news” for a change and TRUTH instead of propaganda! Refreshing to say the least!
While the military is never allowed to do anything that can be done by a civilian contractor – there can be no competition. However, I was with a Combat Engineer Battalion for a few years and they always needed an area to train. I think that the border would be ideal for them, leveling roads, placing mines, live fire exercises, etc and other great Army training.
Well I’d been wondering why we weren’t hearing anything on this. Good info.
It is aBOUT time!
Get it done, Mr President…
ask yourself how come politicians allow 3rd world immigration but we the people have no say I guess its not our country and the constitution is not enforced how did we let this happen
Yeah, and it’ll be torn down, again, and materials sold for pennies on the dollar the next time a Democrat cheats his/her way in to office.
Applause!
They come into our country then go on welfare and food stamps then they vote Democrat. The small towns are in ruin and the schools lose out, too. SAD!
All I an can say if Yippee!
And the Democrats are probably down there selling ladders
Good to hear.
Glad
I appreciate that you recognized that I was already a subscriber.
Excellent News: build the wall to finish and secure our American Border! President Trump is doing a fantastic job here! One of the great investments towards America’s safety and security!
Mr. President, We thank you for the work you are doing and even though it is hard, harder than most of us can even imagine, we thank you for not giving up. We pray for your safety and stamina.
Will 5 miles a week be fast enough to finish the entire wall before the 2028 elections? If not we need enough crews building the wall to finish the job.
They should also include scattered mine fields, especially in high traffic areas,, along with tunnel detectors.
The wall should be electrically charged with an electrical lead that goes straight to every democrat and RINO’s seat in Congress. If anyone tries to dismantle it it lets them know!