H.R. 454- Finish the Fence Act of 2017

Ah, the border wall. A perennial issue in our country that can't seem to get worn out. In addition to this bill we have the executive action in support of said wall recently set forth by the President. This bill calls for the completion of the fence by December 31st, 2017. The President's order additionally calls for the construction of detention facilities on the border and an additional 5,000 border agents to patrol said wall. I will be dealing with the house bill and executive order together since they cover the same material.

Here are some general stats on our border with Mexico:
Length- 2000 miles
Current fencing- 670 miles, mostly in populate areas mostly 18 feet high but some much lower
Terrain- some mountainous, lengthy portion runs parallel to the Rio Grande and Colorado rivers
How much fencing is desired- approximately 1300 miles
What type of wall is planned- 40 feet tall and made of precast concrete panels

Let's talk first about something everyone should understand and that's cost. Trump initially cited a cost of $10 billion dollars for the job. Last Thursday senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) gave a range of $12 to $15 billion but no more than $15 billion. But some speculate that the price could be as much as $25 billion. These costs are just for construction, not for maintenance or manning of the wall. The current fencing cost approximately $3.9 million per mile for the highest portions but this is 18 foot tall fencing, not a 40 foot wall. If the $10 billion figure holds that will come to approximately $7.4 million per mile for Trump's vision. And, again, that is just for initial construction. It also doesn't take into account contingencies such as inhospitable terrain, land acquisitions, and accommodations for necessary border crossings. And all of the above is still just the initial cost of construction. Maintenance and manning of the wall will cost millions of dollars every year. And Trump is also calling for detention centers to be built near the wall which will add additional millions to billions for construction, staffing, and maintenance. Even if Mexico agreed to pay for the initial construction (an idea that is clearly not likely) Americans would still wind up footing the bill year after year or we would be forced to allow the wall to crumble as so much of our infrastructure is doing already.

Next is the question of effectiveness. Even if people could be convinced to foot the bill would this wall actually do what it is intended to do? The short answer is no. The reality of the situation is that illegal immigration from Mexico has stabilized since approximately 2006 and is even seeing a decline since 2009 in the number of illegal immigrants currently on US soil. More than 60 percent of illegal Mexican immigrants have in fact been in the country for more than 10 years which backs up the stabilization statistic. In the meantime the number of illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico has grown. Even with our current precautions border apprehensions are on the decline and it is unlikely that this is because immigrants have found some magical secret route to make it into our country. Combined with the other statistics it suggests fewer Mexicans are making the crossing, decreasing the necessity for additional border measures. We still have over 11 million illegal immigrants in this country so where is our border security failing? The reality is that most illegal immigrants enter the country legally and overstay their visas. How is a border wall supposed to help that?

Now what about that deadline of December 2017? This would mean that there is 11 months to acquire land, get permits, draw up formal plans, and complete installation of the wall. This requirement is so unreasonable as to be laughable. Unless the federal government just bulldozes through the land and force land owners to deal with it (something highly illegal but not without precedent) then the land acquisition alone will take longer than this.

Let us also pause to consider the environmental impacts. As early as 2007, when President Bush first signed an order for a border wall, scientists have raised concerns about the environmental consequences of this build. Animals do not recognize our borders but will be equally impacted, and in some ways more so. In 2007 it was determined that 30 threatened, endangered, or candidate species lived along the Mexican border. The construction would also plow under many plants such as the delicate saguaro cactus causing a severe disruption to a delicate habitat. This sort of construction can also disrupt watersheds opening up the potential for devastating floods that can further harm wildlife and their habitats. Dividing species by a wall will effect them on a fundamental level as it will reduce the genetic diversity in breeding. For populations that are already small this will open the species to inbreeding and disease from which the species may never recover. The partial barriers already constructed have negatively impacted species and an impermeable wall will be exponentially worse.

Whatever your stance on immigration and your feelings towards those who live here illegally it seems apparent that a border wall is a costly and ineffective solution to our current immigration situation.

Sources:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/03/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/09/this-is-what-trumps-border-wall-could-cost-us.html

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/26/how-trump-plans-build-wall-along-us-mexico-border/

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/25/news/economy/trump-mexico-border-wall-cost/

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/20/us/politics/facing-the-facts-on-illegal-immigration.html?_r=0

https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/57/1/96/224718/The-Environmental-Impacts-of-a-Border-Fence

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37200583