President Trump has been very vocal about the need for a new and bigger border wall. He based most of his presidential campaign on this promise. Trump has even met with Border Patrol to go over prototypes of different materials to build the wall separating Mexico and the United States. He wants to keep undocumented imigrants out of the United States.

In June, the remodeling of the wall was started in parts of California where it is easy to break through. This remodeled wall looks very similar to the (already built) wall on the border in parts of South Texas. There are even several parts of the border that do not have a wall. These segments are guarded by border patrol agents. The wall has started production in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. This area is known to have heavy drug traffic and undocumented people entering the United States. According to the El Paso Times, it will cost 73 million dollars to replace this border wall.

These steps to a bigger and better wall are confusing because they are spending money to remodel in California and New Mexico, when the wall looks just like the old border wall in South Texas. New and improved just seems like old and the same.

(Above)The old Santa Teresa wall, and the new and improved wall.

Several border patrol agents have given their view on the border wall and their role in its creation. El Paso sector Chief Aaron A. Hull said to the El Paso Times,  “The president has set the standard for us. And the standard is operational control. Operational control means our ability to detect, deter and deny illegal entry, maintain situational awareness and provide the appropriate law enforcement response.”

According to the National Review, the National Border Patrol Council President has expressed in front of Congress, “I will not advocate for 2,000 miles’ worth of border. That is just not necessary. But what I will advocate for is a border wall in strategic locations, which helps us secure the border.”

Wall production is happening. It is easy to ignore it when we live thousands of miles away. It is easy to dismiss it as bad policy when grandmas and grandpas are trying to make a better life for their grandchildren. Although, it is necessary to have a system to keep criminals and human trafficers in check.

This new wall will replace the metal fence that currently stands, but won’t be a permanent solution to America’s immigration problem on our Southern Border.