in worldwide migration and the emergence of new threats along
the southern border, it is essential that the fence be completed
and supplemented by other security structures – including walls
where appropriate.
By 2015, sixty-five other countries have built security fences and
other barriers to protect themselves from large scale migration
and the infiltration of terrorists. As of May 2018, there were at least
seventy-seven border walls or fences around the world. Fences do
not guarantee security, but they are an integral tool for securing
borders and send the message that would-be migrants are
expected to enter the country through the proper channels.
BUILDING A NEW AND IMPROVED BORDER FENCE
Much of the existing barrier along the southern border hardly
qualifies as a fence or wall. In fact, many stretches consist of
nothing more than a “vehicle barrier” that fails to slow down foot
traffic. The remainder of the fence is a mixture of easily climbed,
poorly- installed corrugated panels and other ad hoc materials. Only
along short stretches are a heavy-duty barrier installed in a concrete
footing or double-layered fencing separated by a patrol road.
The Trump administration has promised to build a better security
barrier on the southern border. Since making this a priority, there
have been numerous estimates on what such an endeavor would
cost. The primary plan includes constructing a single-layer wall in
the most problematic areas where a sufficient barrier does not exist.
The cost estimates for constructing this border fence have ranged
from as low as $8 billion (President Trump’s initial estimate from the
campaign trail), to as high as $40 billion. The estimate most often
quoted by political and construction experts, is between $15 and $25
billion. This figure was derived by Bernstein, a leading development
research firm that specializes in large-scale building projects.
There are a few possible scenarios based on the upper and lower
echelons of current Bernstein cost estimates: a 1,000-mile-long,
40-foot-high wall that goes 7 feet underground and is 10 inches
168 The TRUMP RALLY Publication