What Type of “Wall” Can be Built with Trump’s Border Security Budget?
ISSUE BRIEF | MAY 2017 | DOWNLOAD PDF
President Trump promised Americans a “big, beautiful wall” along the southern border. However, his FY 2018 budget request would provide funding for nothing more than a slightly larger-than-normal cattle fence – assuming that all 705 miles of existing fencing remain in place. A cattle fence might serve as an effective barrier if the Border Patrol was only concerned about keeping livestock from wandering into the United States. Unfortunately, a barbed-wire fence will not keep out illegal aliens, gang members, drug smugglers and human traffickers.
To make matters worse, Congress almost never adopts the President’s full funding request. Once Congress slashes the administration’s original budget demand, the President will be lucky he is left with enough to put up a picket fence. Bottom line: President Trump’s FY 2018 budget request reneges on his campaign promise to build an effective barrier on the southern border.
http://www.fairus.org/issue/what-type-of-wall-can-be-built-with-trump-s-border-security-budget
