New border wall blocks 90% of illegal crossings, up from just 10%
by Paul Bedard
| March 09, 2020 06:15 PM
The first panels of levee border wall are seen at a construction site along the U.S.-Mexico border, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, in Donna, Texas. Border agents said that it is 90% effective in stopping illegal crossings.
Eric Gay/AP
President Trump’s long-promised border wall is working.
The new chief of Border Patrol, which is under U.S. Customs and Border Protection, revealed that the parts of the new “wall system” are 90% “effective,” up from just 10% before it was built, replacing a ragtag of broken fencing.
“It changes everything,” said Chief Rodney Scott, of the 135-136 miles of new wall, roadways, and high-tech spyware. “There is a huge return on investment,” he added.
“This system is going to have a huge impact,” added Deputy Chief Raul Ortiz.
In the San Diego area, Scott said that the wall has essentially ended illegal crossings of humans and cars.
And, in an added benefit, it now requires 150 fewer border agents, a savings of $28 million in salaries and benefits, he said at a press briefing, his first since he and Ortiz took over CBP in January.
Plus, with a better border road, vehicles that once fell apart at 40,000-60,000 miles now last to 100,000 miles before they are auctioned off.
“There is return after return,” said Scott.
The wall is especially good at stopping trucks and cars, he said, because it takes too much time and effort to saw through several wall bollards needed to make an opening that is big enough to drive through.
“The border wall system all but stopped that completely,” he said.
As a result, drug cartels have changed tactics, building expensive tunnels and trying to sneak drugs in on vehicles passing through border entry points. But that isn’t effective, he said.
“It shut down that entire threat. Anywhere we built the border wall system, the first thing it does is shut off those drive-throughs. The second thing is, it shuts off massive amounts of people coming through at the same time. So, it’s forced the drug cartels, especially El Chapo’s group, Sinaloa, to shift tactics,” he said.
And, in some areas, such as California’s San Ysidro land port of entry, the wall and the safety it has brought has been an economic boost. Scott said, for example, that in San Ysidro there is now a factory outlet mall that creates $6.6 million in local tax revenue and a pricey housing development.
What’s more, the beachfront Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, which suffered during the drug wars and human trafficking, is improving.
“Near the beach, it’s safe. That whole area is coming back,” said Scott, adding, “The entire ecosystem ... is coming back.”
And in areas of Texas with the wall, Ortiz said border agents are reporting similar success. He said that in one area of South Texas with 55 miles of new wall, just 4%-5% of illegal trafficking passes through. Before, he said, 90% got through.
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