President Trump Wants $18 Billion For Border Wall Expansion

The Trump administration is seeking $18 billion to construct about 700 miles of border wall and fencing over the next decade, the Wall Street Journal

reported Friday.

The funding would go towards adding to or replacing the existing 654 miles of border barrier, bringing the total to nearly 1,000 miles, or about about half of the entire southwest border.

Part of a border security package totaling $33 billion, the wall funds include $9 billion over the first five years and $8.7 billion over the next five years, according to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) memo described to WSJ. The administration envisions using the funds to construct some sort of physical barrier — fencing or solid wall — across 970 miles of the border by 2027.

The $18 billion price tag notwithstanding, the administration’s request aims for a result far short of President Donald Trump’s original promise to build a wall along the entire expanse of the 2,200-mile border between the U.S. and Mexico. Several administration officials have conceded that a physical wall from San Diego to Brownsville, Tex. is not a likely outcome, describing the project instead as a multi-faceted approach that includes physical barriers, surveillance systems and more border officers.

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