U.S. Customs And Border Protection Is Already Building Prototypes Of The U.S.-Mexico Wall In San Diego

Araceli Cruz - 09/01/17 - things that matter
credit: Twitter/@MichelleDiana

In the middle of rescue efforts in Texas and the forthcoming decision on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the White House is charging full steam ahead with their proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Yesterday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that prototypes of the proposed U.S.-Mexico wall will be built in San Diego.

Contractors have been bidding to work with the White House on the proposed wall since March. Some received death threats. Border officials announced yesterday that four companies were awarded contracts to construct prototypes of the border wall:

Caddell Construction Co. in Montgomery, Alabama

Fisher Sand & Gravel Co. DBA Fisher Industries, in Tempe, Arizona

Texas Sterling Construction Co., in Houston, Texas

W. G. Yates & Sons Construction Company, in Philadelphia, Mississippi

CNN reports that each award will be worth roughly $400,000 to $500,000.

According to journalist Aura Bogado, one of the companies had to pay $2 million for criminal fraud in 2012.

In 2012, the Department of Justice ordered Caddell Construction Co. to pay $2 million because the company overstated “developmental assistance provided to a disadvantaged small business as part of a Department of Defense (DoD) program.” Essentially, they billed the government for more money than they deserved while providing assistance to a small business that they partnered with in a federal program.

Here’s one prototype of the border wall.

The CBP explained how the wall will be constructed:

“These concrete prototypes will serve two important ends. First, given their robust physical characteristics, like, reinforced concrete, between 18-30 feet high, the concrete border wall prototypes are designed to deter illegal crossings in the area in which they are constructed.”

“Second, the concrete border wall prototypes will allow CBP to evaluate the potential for new wall and barrier designs that could complement the wall and barrier designs we have used along the border over the last several years. As the border security environment continues to evolve, CBP will continually refresh its own inventory of tools to meet that evolution.”

You may be wondering at this point who is going to pay for all of this.

Mexico has already said they’re not paying for the wall.

Last week in Arizona, Trump basically said that if the government didn’t approve funding for the wall, he’d “shut it down.”

But Hurricane Harvey has changed everything. The government cannot shut down, especially when government workers are working on rescue and relief efforts. Something has got to give, because Trump said, “One way or the other, we’re going to get that wall.” That money has to come from somewhere.

Trump needs billions to fund the wall, and that money could come out of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) fund.

When Congress resumes next week after their month-long break, the final budget will get sorted out. If there’s no conclusion met, there may be a shutdown. If they do reach a consensus over the funds for the wall, it will come out of the FEMA fund.

That means those people suffering in Houston will have their resources from their recovery taken away in order to pay for the wall.

 

READ: Kat Von D Is Using Her Immigration Story To Take A Stand Against Trump’s Border Wall

 

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