2/11/2019 Walls Work | Homeland Security

   Official website of the Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Enter Search Term

Homeland Security On DHS.gov

Walls Work
Release Date:  December 12, 2018

WE ARE BUILDING THE FIRST NEW BORDER WALL IN A DECADE.

DECADE

DHS is committed to building a wall at our southern border and building a wall quickly. Under
this President, we are building a new wall for the first time in a decade that is 30-feet high to
prevent illegal entry and drug smuggling.

FACT: Prior to President Trump taking office, we have never built a border wall that high.

Once funding was provided, DHS began construction of a border wall quickly, in some
locations in as little as nine months from funding to building – a process that commonly takes
two years or more in other parts of Government. By the end of FY 2019, DHS expects to have
construction completed or underway for more than 120 miles in the areas it’s most needed by
the U.S. Border Patrol. The pace of construction has picked up as initial limiting factors like
land acquisition and funding have been addressed.

Before After

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work 1/4
2/11/2019 Walls Work | Homeland Security

The El Centro Sector built approximately two miles of 30' steel bollard wall west of the
Calexico West Port of Entry. The contract was awarded in November 2017, construction started
in February 2018 and was completed in October 2018.

In FY 2017 Congress provided DHS $292 million to build 40 miles of a steel bollard wall in the
San Diego, El Centro and El Paso Sectors – Border Patrol’s highest priority locations – in place
of an outdated and operationally ineffective barrier. DHS received its FY17 funding for border
wall construction in May 2017. DHS awarded the first contract against that funding in
November 2017 and began construction three months later in February 2018. As of November
21, 2018, CBP has constructed more than 31 of the 40 miles with the remaining 9 miles
scheduled for completion by early 2019.

El Centro Project (2.25 miles): Completed.

El Paso Project (20 miles): Completed
San Diego Primary Project (14 miles): Completion anticipated in May 2019.
El Paso Project (4 miles): Construction started in September.

Before After

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work 2/4
2/11/2019 Walls Work | Homeland Security

The El Centro Sector built approximately two miles of 30' steel bollard wall west of the
Calexico West Port of Entry. The contract was awarded in November 2017, construction started
in February 2018 and was completed in October 2018.

How effective is this new border wall? On Sunday, when a violent mob of 1,000 people
stormed our Southern border, we found the newly constructed portions of the wall to be very
effective.  In the area of the breach, a group of people tore a hole in the old landing mat fence
constructed decades ago and pushed across the border.  U.S. Border Patrol agents who
responded to the area ultimately dispersed the crowd, which had become assaultive, and
apprehended several individuals.  All of the individuals were either apprehended or retreated
into Mexico.  That evening, the fence was repaired.  There were no breaches along the newly
constructed border wall areas.

In FY18, Congress provided $1.375B for border wall construction which equates to
approximately 84 miles of border wall in multiple locations across the Southwest border,
including:

$251M for a secondary border wall in the San Diego Sector

$445M to construct a new levee wall system in the Rio Grande Valley Sector
$196M to construct a new steel bollard wall system in Rio Grande Valley Sector
$445M for a primary pedestrian wall in San Diego, El Centro, Yuma and Tucson Sectors

What’s next you might ask? When combined with the funds provided in FY 2017 and FY 2018, if
funded at $5B in FY 2019 DHS expects to construct more than 330 miles of border wall in the
U.S. Border Patrol’s highest priority locations across the Southwest border.

DHS is positioned to construct 215 miles of Border Patrol’s highest priority border wall miles
including:

~5 miles in San Diego Sector in California

~14 miles in El Centro Sector in California
~27 miles in Yuma Sector in Arizona
~9 miles in El Paso Sector in New Mexico
~55 miles in Laredo Sector in Texas
~104 miles in Rio Grande Valley Sector in Texas
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work 3/4
2/11/2019 Walls Work | Homeland Security

The Bottom Line: Walls Work. When it comes to stopping drugs and illegal aliens from crossing
our borders, border walls have proven to be extremely effective. Border security relies on a
combination of border infrastructure, technology, personnel and partnerships with law
enforcement at the state, local, tribal, and federal level. For example, when we installed a
border wall in the Yuma Sector, we have seen border apprehensions decrease by 90 percent. In
San Diego, we saw on Sunday that dilapidated, decades-old barriers are not sufficient for
today’s threat and need to be removed so new – up to 30 foot wall sections can be completed.

Topics:  Border Security (/topics/border-security) , Immigration and Customs Enforcement (/topics/immigration-enforcement)

Keywords:  Border Security (/keywords/border-security) , border wall (/ntc/border-wall) , immigration enforcement
(/keywords/immigration-enforcement)

Last Published Date: December 14, 2018

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work 4/4