Trump To Visit Texas To Mark U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Topping 400 Miles

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Jan 10, 2021 10:39 PM EST

President Donald Trump is expected to visit Texas this week to highlight his administration's work on the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

A White House official said Trump would be in Alamo, Texas on Tuesday, Fox News reported. The announcement came a week after the Department of Homeland Security officials touted the completion of around 450 miles of border fencing under the Trump administration.

"President Trump is expected to travel to Alamo, Texas, on Tuesday to mark the completion of more than 400 miles of border wall - a promise made, promise kept - and his Administration's efforts to reform our broken immigration stem," White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere in a statement as reported by Breitbart.

Trump's visit is scheduled the same week that the House of Representatives will vote for Trump's impeachment after the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The Border Wall

Last year, Trump had promised to have 450 miles of the wall completed by the end of 2020. Only 100 miles were done in January 2020.

Trump earlier told MSNBC that a wall was needed along 1,000 miles of the border that does not already have natural barriers. The administration then said they had made progress towards achieving most of that during Trump's term.

During the 2016 election campaign, Trump promised that if would be elected president, he would build a wall along the Mexican border with a cost. He said he would build a great wall but noted that it would be very inexpensive.

In 2017, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said that the wall would cost around $15 billion at most, adding that it ranges from $12 billion to $15 billion, according to a CNBC News report.

Future of the Border Wall

Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden has said that if he were chosen the next president, he would not tear down the barrier's parts along the border. However, he would cease its construction.

Biden said that there would not be another foot of wall constructed during his presidential term. He noted that he would make sure that the country has border protection, and it's going to be based on a high-tech capacity to deal with it, as reported by NPR.

However, Customs Border Protection (CBP) head cautioned that shutting down the wall's construction could cost taxpayers billions. According to acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan, a total of 800 miles have already been funded.

Fox News reported that Morgan said those miles had been funded with an overwhelming amount, and the contracts have already been awarded. He added that if Biden stops the construction, there would be some areas that they would have to pay extra for them to remove the rebar and fill in the trench.

Morgan also warned that thousands of jobs would be lost if the project stops. However, some reports are challenging Morgan's claim as with the case to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates.

According to a Washington Post report, the U.S. Army Corps said that halting the construction could save around $2.6 billion.