As the Friday deadline to pass a plan for border security to thwart yet another partial government shutdown edges closer, President Donald Trump will be getting money for his long-promised border wall, but much, much less than he originally requested. The 1,159-page border security compromise between both Republicans and Democrats in Congress gives Trump less than one quarter of the $5.7 billion he wanted to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
The bipartisan border deal includes just $1.375 billion for physical barriers. Nevertheless, the deal states that 55 miles worth of construction will begin in the Rio Grande Valley sector, which is said by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to be the highest priority in its strategic plan to curb illegal border crossings.
Moreover, billions in funding was included for other border security programs like inspection equipment for ports of entry, humanitarian aid for detained migrants, funds to buy aircraft and materiel support, and provisions to hire 600 more customs officers and additional immigration judges.
On Tuesday in front of the White House, President Trump spoke of new border barrier construction beginning in southern Texas. “We just started a big, big section on the Rio Grande,” he said.
The six miles worth of concrete and steel barrier was announced in CBP’s 2018 fiscal year budget, which was not a part of the recently-struck deal. The Washington Examiner reports that the $145 million in wall construction will be supplemented by “detection technology, lighting, video surveillance, and an all-weather patrol road parallel.”
Although President Trump seems to be somewhat content with a full $23 billion in complete border protection funding, he is less than delighted with receiving four times less for wall construction than he requested.
After a two-month battle over border funding, which resulted in a 35-day partial government shutdown, the longest of such in U.S. history, the president will end up with the same amount of funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall/barrier/fencing that he was offered before the shutdown showdown began.
In a little over one year, the argument surrounding border security funding has changed from Democrats once offering $25 billion for a border wall in exchange for immigration law changes and protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Democratic leaders then offering President Trump $1.3 billion for border fencing, a presumed compromise of $2.5 billion during the shutdown, to a final deal of $1.375 billion for barriers.
Though, while this will be seen by many as not the “big league” deal Trump or his most ardent supporters wanted, they may take some solace in Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi going back on her word to not fund Trump’s “immoral” border wall.