Mexico–United States border wall

A border wall has been built along portions of the Mexico–United States border in an attempt to reduce illegal immigration to the United States from Mexico.[1] The barrier is not a continuous structure but a series of obstructions variously classified as "fences" or "walls".[2]

Between the physical barriers, security is provided by a "virtual fence" of sensors, cameras, and other surveillance equipment used to dispatch United States Border Patrol agents to suspected migrant crossings.[3] In May 2011, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it had 649 miles (1,044 km) of barriers in place.[4] A total of 438 miles (705 km)[2] of new primary barriers were built during Donald Trump's first presidency, dubbed the "Trump wall", though Trump had repeatedly promised a "giant wall" spanning the entire border and that Mexico would "pay for the wall," neither of which were done.[5] The national border's length is 1,954 miles (3,145 km), of which 1,255 miles (2,020 km) is the Rio Grande[6] and 699 miles (1,125 km) is on land.

On July 28, 2022, the Biden administration announced it would fill four wide gaps in Arizona near Yuma, an area with some of the busiest corridors for illegal crossings.[7] In October 2023, Biden announced that he was restarting wall construction on some parts of the border due to the surge of migrant crossings, constructing an additional 20 miles of border wall.[8] On January 20, 2025, re-elected President Donald Trump pledged to finish the wall during his second term, although this time not mentioning his previous statement that Mexico would pay for it.[9][10]

  1. ^ Garcia, Michael John (November 18, 2016). Barriers Along the U.S. Borders: Key Authorities and Requirements (PDF). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Chaichian, Mohammad. 2014. Empires and Walls: Globalization, Migration, and Colonial Domination (Brill, pp. 175–235)
  3. ^ "The Border Fence". NOW on PBS. Archived from the original on October 21, 2008.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference fact was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Farley, Robert (February 16, 2021). "Trump's Border Wall: Where Does It Stand?". FactCheck.org. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  6. ^ "About the Rio Grande". International Boundary and Water Commission.
  7. ^ "Biden administration to fill border wall gaps near Yuma, Arizona". NBC News. July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  8. ^ Gillman, Todd J. (October 5, 2023). "Biden expedites 20 miles (32 km) of new border wall in South Texas but doesn't think it will work". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Bustillo, Ximena (January 20, 2025). "Trump signs sweeping actions on immigration and border security on Day 1". NPR. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  10. ^ Rosenbaum, Steven; Candido, Sergio (January 20, 2025). "President Trump pledges to expand border wall, praises Texas Gov. Greg Abbott". CBS News. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
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