A tentative deal reached on Monday to prevent another federal shutdown would include 55 miles of fencing along the United States border with Mexico. As of January, no new miles of barriers had been built so far under President Trump, though some construction is expected to begin this month.
Construction is slated to begin on 14 miles of new barriers in February, which would be the first extension of the current barriers.
Mr. Trump has said several times that the United States has constructed new walls. In January, he said that the administration had built a “brand new wall in San Diego.” While several replacement barriers are being installed in Southern California, Customs and Border Protection had not announced any extensions of the current barriers there at the time.
So far, the most common design for recent construction on the border is steel slats that are 18- to 30-feet tall. This is often taller than the barriers they are replacing, which are also sometimes in disrepair. Mr. Trump has varied on his vision for the wall. In December, he promoted the steel slat-style barrier, while also saying parts of the wall would be all concrete.
A barrier in place in the El Paso sector of the U.S. border with Mexico.
A replacement barrier made of steel slats being installed in Naco, Ariz.
This concrete wall is one prototype commissioned by Mr. Trump.
A barrier in place in the El Paso sector of the U.S. border with Mexico.
This concrete wall is one prototype commissioned by
Mr. Trump.
A replacement barrier made of steel slats being installed in Naco, Ariz.
A barrier in place in the El Paso sector of the U.S. border with Mexico.
A replacement barrier made of steel slats being installed in Naco, Ariz.
This concrete wall is one prototype commissioned by Mr. Trump.
The Congressional bill that funded recent wall construction states that only existing designs, such as the slat-style barrier, can be used. That means no money has been allotted for any construction based on Mr. Trump’s prototypes of the new wall.