While former President Donald Trump’s plans for a wall across southern border of the U.S. have been halted by a new presidential administration, new plans for a Texas border wall brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars in private donations.
About $450,000 in donations have come in for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s plans to create a border wall, according to the Texas Tribune. But it would take much, more more to get it done.
The governor hasn't provided a timeline on the wall or its cost, saying those decisions would be made by the program manager. ReformAustin.org reports that Abbott has only said he expects the new wall to be “hundreds of miles” long.
As for cost, we do know that the Trump administration paid about $27 million per mile of new border wall in South Texas and that 'We Build The Wall,' a private fundraising effort, raised more than $25 million to construct 3 miles of fence. The private effort failed when some of the project's leaders, including former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, were charged with defrauding donors.
At $450,000 a week -- even if that pace continued -- crowdfunding would bring in about $24 million a year, or pay for about 1 mile a year using Trump's costs as a barometer. Hundreds of miles would take hundreds of years.
Enter the disaster declaration. Abbott, a two-term governor who is running for reelection next year, declared illegal immigration across the Mexico-Texas border a disaster on May 31. With this disaster declaration, Abbott is able to expand his executive power and suspend certain laws -- and utilize public funds for the effort he envisions. He has said he would use $250 million in state funds as a "down payment."
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As for the remaining hundreds and hundreds of millions, Abbott has said he'll rely on crowdfunding.
Some have questioned whether the proposed wall is legal, said the Texas Tribune.
During a June 16 press conference, the governor directed the Texas Facilities Commission to hire a program manager to oversee construction of the wall. This program manager is expected to plan and execute the project as well as hire the contractors and subcontractors.
“Once hired, the program manager and contractors will identify state land and land that private landowners and local governments can volunteer for the wall,” said a press release from Abbott’s office.
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Abbott also signed a letter to President Joe Biden demanding the immediate return of any land taken by the federal government to build the border wall.
According to Abbott, the wall is necessary to “secure the border, slow the influx of unlawful immigrants, and restore order in our border communities,” and keep put what he claims are “criminals” that bring in substances such as fentanyl.
His disaster proclamation said that border patrol agents have apprehended more than 35,000 illegal immigrants since March 17. Overall, Customs and Border Patrol encountered 178,622 persons attempting entry along the Southwest Border in April, a 3 percent increase over March.
Abbott’s plan is similar to Trump’s border wall project. According to the BBC, around 47 miles of primary wall were built before Trump left office, some of it using funds Trump diverted using national emergency powers. An estimated $15 billion in government funds were used to create the new wall and to reinforce other existing fences and border protection over an approximately 452-mile stretch or border.
President Joe Biden’s administration has not moved forward with Trump's border wall project.