In the wake of the Biden administration’s recent decision to terminate the Trump administration’s border policies, residents along the border are trying to deal with environmental issues and massive economic damage left behind.
Normally, what comes to mind when you think about the border wall is a massive structure guarding the nation against crime, drugs, murder, and cartels, but those thoughts are being replaced by feelings of utter frustration and futility.
After abandoning the wall project earlier on in his administration, President Joe Biden has left us piles of fencing, miles of soil soon to be eroded and swept away, and half-built roads. For those of us who have seen the damage done, there is also a growing sense of insecurity.
On a very recent trip to Cochise County, Arizona, my team accompanied members of the multi-agency SABRE team on a tour of a section of the border wall.
One of the first things pointed out to us was the fact that a great deal of border wall in the area was actually built by the Obama administration. The Obama wall sections can be identified as being shorter in height, but the wall structure looks very similar. Recent sections added by the Trump administration can be identified by being taller – up to 30 feet tall.
This section of border is very remote and rugged, and we were told that rarely do migrants and unaccompanied minors enter the U.S. in this area. However, smugglers and suspected cartel members frequently cross the border in this area with the aid of their scouts, who look out for Border Patrol agents.
Vast areas, some on private property, have been cleared to stage materials and equipment for the border wall construction. Shortly after the Biden administration ordered construction to stop on the border wall, the contractors packed up most of their equipment and left. However, left behind are the open trenches, incomplete roads, all the hardware required to complete the project, and a changed landscape.
The impact on the plants and animals can’t be known with complete certainty.
There are many open trenches and piles of construction materials left from the construction being stopped so suddenly. The sections of wall in areas prone to flooding have been built with gates that can be opened during the rainy season to prevent debris collecting against the wall, resulting in flooding and corresponding erosion. However, due to the work not being completed, expansive flooding will likely happen along with erosion on private and public lands – putting lives in danger.
Finally, the contracts with the companies building the wall were written to pay the vendors 75% of the contract when cancelled. Taxpayers would be better off to have a completed wall for their money. Instead, the taxpayers are left with a dangerous construction site which will have environmental impacts including flooding and the decay of the building materials, while the Biden administration wastes a significant amount of money by not moving forward with the projects to a logical stopping point.