What's Next for Trump's Border Wall?

This week, during a visit to California, President Trump inspected eight prototypes for his proposed border wall. The president has made no secret of his intent to erect a physical barrier along the border. After touring the structures, he tweeted: “If we don’t have a wall system, we’re not going to have a country.”

But the desire to get it done doesn’t guarantee its construction. And to that end, the administration still has a long way to go before bringing the wall to fruition. Former homeland security officials told me that a project of this magnitude requires a focused White House effort, a clear plan, and funding from Congress to complete.

Last year, Trump signed an executive order instructing Customs and Border Protection to build a wall along the southern across the country and by late October, the chosen contractors had finished constructing the prototypes. The structures fall under two categories—four are made of concrete, while four others are made from non-concrete materials—and all meet a list of requirements laid out by the agency, such as ensuring that designs prevent climbing and digging. They’ve since been tested by the agency.