(NewsNation) — Texas is adamant that a border wall is necessary to stop the flow of migrants despite projections showing it will cost more than $20 billion and will take more than 30 years to build.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott undertook the decision to state fund a border wall along the Mexico border three years ago under his Operation Lone Star security plan, but the process to build the structure has been slow and has come up against major challenges with land acquisition and funding, reported the Texas Tribune.
Since launching his state-funded effort, the outlet reported that only about 34 miles of steel bollards, costing around $25 million, have been peppered in spots across the more than 1,200-mile border stretch.
Steel barriers cover just 4% of the more than 800 miles identified by state officials as “in need of some kind of a barrier,” according to the outlet.
Texas officials are aiming to erect 100 miles by the end of 2026, at a rate of about a half-mile per week, but that remains a difficult goal.
State officials have found it difficult to acquire or access the private land they would need to build, reported the Texas Tribune.
Under state law, the government cannot use eminent domain to gain land access, reported the outlet.
Through mid-June, officials had secured 79 easements covering about 59 miles of the border. State officials are still in various stages of negotiation with landowners over another 113 miles, according to Texas officials.
Border protection and enforcement falls under the purview of the federal government, but Abbott has undertaken the efforts himself, calling out President Biden for not doing enough to stop migrant crossings.
Former President Donald Trump touted a border wall as essential to curbing immigration, and his administration installed more than 450 miles of new border fencing across several states, including Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
That project was halted under Biden.
Many groups have opposed a border wall, calling it a misguided attempt at solving a larger problem.
“Walls do not achieve the objectives for which they are said to be erected; they have limited effects in stemming insurgencies and do not block unwanted [migrant] flows, but rather lead to a re-routing of migrants to other paths,” a 2022 report by the Migration Policy Institute stated.
Despite its uphill battle, legislators have approved more than $3 billion for the wall since 2021, and many continue to support its construction.
“I wish that were just finished this structure here to where it’s not an eyesore. You got basically three different types of fence that are that are standing here. So you know, just one continuous fence, that would be great,” Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez said.
Martinez, a Democrat, told NewsNation the wall isn’t a political issue; it’s a national security issue. He said he supports what Abbott is doing because it protects his community and the nation.
“I appreciate what Governor Abbott is doing to the west of us,” Martinez said. “Those efforts will protect our community, will help keep our community safe. I know there’s still some gaps within that fence, so hopefully technology will cover those gaps to where people can respond or agents can respond.”