Can Texans Afford Abbott’s Border Wall?
While seeking reelection Texas governor’s plan to expand the border wall with state and private funds has been met with resistance by border communities
Editor’s Note: This story was produced in collaboration with Florida International University’s South Florida Media Network. Click here to read the article in Spanish.
The construction of a massive wall along the southern border of the United States became a symbol of former president Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce immigration. Now, Governor Greg Abbott has promised to continue the construction, at least in Texas.
“Texas is stepping up to get the job done,” Abbott said at a press conference. "We will build the wall, we will secure the border, but most importantly, we will restore safety to the citizens who live in the Lone Star State.
That raises some questions: Can a state, using a mix of public and private funds, build a wall along an international border? And what do Texans living along the border think about the continued construction of the barrier?
In May 2021, the number of migrants crossing the southern border of the United States was the highest in two decades. U.S. Customs and Border Protection made more than 700,000 arrests in the first five months of this year.
In Texas, the Mexico border is nearly 1,200 miles long. Only 111 miles are fenced
In early July, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) registered a total of 1 million immigrants already stopped at the border this year. The last time that number was recorded along the U.S.-Mexico border was in 2006, and that number was not reached until December of that year.
This “crisis in many Texas communities along the border” led the governor of Texas to issue his disaster declaration.
His wall is the response.
Some experts argue that the border situation is indeed critical, but is far from a crisis.
“It’s critical because the conditions in the so-called ‘Third World’ have grown worse with climate change, with the results of the economic policies that have been in place for over 30 years now. This explains why more people are leaving,” said Luis Guillermo Solís, former president of Costa Rica and interim director of the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University. “Because they cannot stay without risking their families and their own survival.”
Miles to go
In Texas, the Mexico border is nearly 1,200 miles long. Only 111 miles are fenced.
For construction of the new wall, Abbott invested $250 million in state funds as a deposit. However, the Rio Grande river, which makes up part of the border, cuts a winding and and uneven path, so the true measure of how much barrier will be needed is unknown.
According to CBP, more than 452 miles were constructed along the U.S.-Mexico border during the Trump administration. Most of that was replacement of existing fencing. Only 80 miles of new wall were built.
A segment of the border wall was being built with private funds by the private group "We Build The Wall" near El Paso, Texas in June 2019. Photo by Shutterstock/Grossinger.
It is worth mentioning that the Trump administration financed the construction of the wall with federal money. That won't happen in Texas.
For his wall, Abbott has turned to crowd-funding.
Through a website and mail-in donations, and just three days after soliciting contributions, Abbott received nearly $350,000 in June. The Texas Tribune reports that by July 14, donations reached $829,000.
Although Abbott promised a transparent crowdfunding process, his office is not requiring donors to identify themselves with their real names, according to information released to the Texas Tribune.
Some donors have identified themselves as “R T,” “S P,” and “Red A.” But other donors are very well identified, like political consultant Sherry Sylvester, a former senior adviser of the Lt. Gov. of Texas, and Allen Blakemore, a well-known conservative political adviser.
“Why invest in concrete and iron bars when we need more services in the community?”
With a budget of $15 billion, the Trump administration expected to build a total of 738 miles. That is roughly equivalent to a cost of $20 million per mile.
Using that as a standard and considering the funds that Abbott has raised thus far, then in Texas only about 12 miles are paid for.
“Why invest in concrete and iron bars when we need more services in the community? We need a dam to move the water, because we don't have a good water system. We don't have public transportation in our communities. Not to mention the street lighting on the corners,” said Ramona Casas, a Texas resident and member of the ARISE Adelante civil-rights group. "There is a lot of need.”
At a community meeting in Hidalgo County, near the border, several community leaders spoke out against the construction of the new border fence.
"We do not want walls, [...] it is the hatred they have for us, migrants," said Zareth García, a member of the organization La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE).
To wall or not to wall?
One of the first things Joe Biden did when he became president was to stop construction of several miles of the border wall that had been previously approved.
It was an action that got a reaction.
“The Biden border crisis is getting worse and worse every day,” said Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at a press conference. “No state in the Union is paying a bigger price for the Biden border crisis than our home state of Texas.”
"Texans are suffering as a result,” Abbott added, at a different press conference.
Experts on immigration policy, like Luis Guillermo Solís, believe politicians in Texas are using scare tactics to achieve political gain. A tactic that’s not new, he said.
If there was to be a complete stop to all migration, “states like Texas, whose economies depend heavily on migrant labor force, would suffer greatly as a result of that,” Solís added.
Today, more than ever, the border between the United States and Mexico is politicized. The promise of a wall is now a key element in one candidate's campaign.
It remains unclear when Gov. Abbott will begin construction on the Texas wall. It’s not known where it will run and what the design will be.
What is known is that Abbot is running for re-election in 2022.
---
Jacqueline Mata From chasing breaking news to finding characters for features, Jacqueline Mata is committed to telling stories that inspire and educate. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and of Mexican heritage, Mata is a proud, bilingual journalist who has reported and produced in several states including Texas, Nevada, and Florida. Her work has highlighted issues including immigration, human trafficking, organ donation, and global health.