Trump's border wall prototypes virtually impassable, pass rigorous testing

Source

While Trump critics and editorial writers who’ve spent decades living in New York and Washington refer to the president’s “wall” as silly, stupid and useless, those who actually work on the border say fences are effective.

“The evidence shows that barriers work,” says Pete Hermansen, a 22-year veteran of the Border Patrol and former director of the agency’s tactical and rescue teams. “In urban areas, a wall makes sense. In more remote areas, sensors and mobile cameras may be the right choice. But you can’t say fences don’t work.”

Before San Diego built a 46-mile fence in the late 1980s, border agents were overwhelmed by illegal traffic from Mexico. In 1986, the agency arrested 629,656 illegal immigrants, almost the population of Las Vegas.

Today, the 60-mile sector is almost entirely fenced. Apprehensions last year fell to 26,086, a 95 percent drop, as double fencing in the most populated areas replaced barbed wire and 6-foot-high steel mats.

“Fences have made a big difference,” said Tucson Sector Chief Rudy Kirsch. “It reduced the traffic flow of immigrants and drugs across the border.”

Fencing in San Diego pushed migrants east to Yuma, Arizona, where agents made 138,438 arrests in 2006. After erecting 126 miles of fence, illegal traffic fell 90 percent, to 12,847, in 2017.

“We proved walls work,” said a senior Yuma agent not authorized to speak on the record. “But that doesn’t mean we need a 30-foot wall from sea to shining sea. The wall system the president is talking about includes a physical wall, but also a fiber optic sensor cable, radars, roads, lights.”

That technology is one component of the president’s border security initiative. What he calls a “wall system” includes a barrier, updated cameras, sensors, roads and lighting.

“A wall system gives us situational awareness throughout the border and certainty of apprehension of individuals who are crossing the border,” said Hermansen.

This is one of the key parts. Opponents of the wall are still pretending that what's been proposed is a literal 2000-mile wall, which is false. They simply have no other argument, so they have to keep pushing that false narrative because it's easier to attack. The actual proposal is much more intricate. Everyone with a brain understood this during the campaign. Trump even mentioned that himself in a few speeches.

Anyway, on to the testing:

According to those familiar with the tests, the walls withstood cutting torches, jackhammers and concrete saws better than anything currently on the border, and were almost impossible to climb, thanks to anti-climbing and anti-perching features.

“I can’t talk about it,” said a DHS official in Washington. “But the walls were so high we had to suspend testing. It was unsafe. Out of dozens and attempts, one guy made it to the top but he couldn’t get down. We had to bring him down with cherry picker.”

So much for "All you need to defeat a 30-foot wall is a 31-foot ladder" claims.

Each sector, Fox News has learned, will be free to modify the design based on need, topography and terrain. The fence in San Diego will look different than one in the Yuma desert, the Tucson Mountains or the Rio Grande Valley.

Agents are the first to admit no wall is impassable, but a more robust border will reduce illegal traffic, turning back some while forcing others to attempt passage by means.

“Will they scale over it and tunnel under it? Yes,” Hermansen said. “But if you discourage people as much as you can at the outset, you are dealing with a much smaller population that you have to push with technology, manpower and other assets.”

No one, not even Trump, is claiming this will reduce illegal immigration to zero. Visa overstays will remain a big problem. But that is fixable too, if Congress has the will to do so. That said, anyone who looks at this objectively must acknowledge that there will be some people that were willing to hop an 8-foot fence that will not have the will or the resources to defeat the more robust border system that's being designed.

a reply to: face23785

I still don't like the wall as a deterrent.
I would much rather see immigration reform to allow these people a better path to become Americans.
Just seems like a lot of money better used elsewhere.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: face23785

I still don't like the wall as a deterrent.
I would much rather see immigration reform to allow these people a better path to become Americans.
Just seems like a lot of money better used elsewhere.

Well it's not like the wall is the only thing that's been proposed. The administration is talking about reforming the system as a whole too. No matter how good you make the system, people are still gonna come illegally if you make it easy for them. It's like robbery. Sure some of it is desperate people that probably wouldn't steal if they had it better, but how many times have we seen rich celebrities get caught stealing? Some people are just scum. You have to have security against them.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: face23785

I still don't like the wall as a deterrent.
I would much rather see immigration reform to allow these people a better path to become Americans.
Just seems like a lot of money better used elsewhere.

Ummm...I totally agree...

Then...when we finally have the entire worlds population within the contiguous 48 states...we can heave a sigh of relief...knowing that we had done our humanitarian part...

EFF borders...we are after all...children of the world...

Matter of fact...we might just as well get rid of that tired old notion of private property...and the rights associated with it...Cause when billions squat where only millions lived...plumbing futures will be the investment of the day...

Jolly good idea that...kudo's...




YouSir

a reply to: face23785

The wall is the most expensive and ineffective solution possible on a simple problem.

You want to stop illegal immigration just make it not worthwhile for American companies and industries to hire them.

Make it a $50K fine per illegal hired in a company with a 3 strike you are out policy. Then enforce the denial of any American benefits to illegals.

Once American companies are not paying illegals to come they wont come. That leaves plenty of the existing resources to cover the Few that are only coming here to cause problems and easier to spot.


The fact is 3 of the largest lobbying industries (Agriculture,Hospitality,Construction) are also the biggest benefactors and offenders of immigration.

Coincidently enough Trump is associated with 2 of them (Hospitality,Construction).


Lastly careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Immigration is tightly ingrained to our economy and could cause a collapse killing it overnight.

Staged or real, I have no idea but it appears to be doable.

a reply to: YouSir

Where exactly did I say let everybody in?
I was only saying that a wall will not work and we should find a better way to spend the money.

a reply to: interupt42

Sounds like a good start, better than bricks anyway.

a reply to: face23785

No Wall is impassable......

originally posted by: interupt42
a reply to: face23785

The wall is the most expensive and ineffective solution possible on a simple problem.

You want to stop illegal immigration just make it not worthwhile for American companies and industries to hire them.

Make it a $50K fine per illegal hired in a company with a 3 strike you are out policy. Then enforce the denial of any American benefits to illegals.

Once American companies are not paying illegals to come they wont come. That leaves plenty of the existing resources to cover the Few that are only coming here to cause problems and easier to spot.


The fact is 3 of the largest lobbying industries (Agriculture,Hospitality,Construction) are also the biggest benefactors and offenders of immigration.

Coincidently enough Trump is associated with 2 of them (Hospitality,Construction).


Lastly careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Immigration is tightly ingrained to our economy and could cause a collapse killing it overnight.

Making it illegal to hire them won't stop the flow of human traffickers, guns, and drugs across the border.

Maybe try that logic again.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: interupt42

Sounds like a good start, better than bricks anyway.

I'm Glad we got Trump over Hilliary and her solution would have been just as ineffective I'm sure.

However those Golden bricks are going to make some uber rich politically connected brother inlaws from the backs of the American tax payers.

Building the wall is a solution to a symptom of the problem and it will be a fruitless uphill battle. Going after the companies that hire them is taking care of the real problem and will leave enough existing resources to go after the few rotten apples.

a reply to: face23785

ROFLMAO @ " unclimbable "

a long time ago - in a country far far away - a " cat - A " prison - was upgraded - with a new " unclimbable permimiter fence "

due to " careless talk " in a pub - word of this " unclimbable fence " reached the ears of certain elements in her magesties armed forces

and after a quick recce - a boast was made :

" we can excape that in < 5 minuites "

the challenge was accepted

every one who attempted it - " escaped " - no one actually made good on thier " under 5 min " boast - mainly due to features that they could not see from the outside

but one 3 man team did it in < 6 minuites - after watching a rival team take 8 min

this is a true story - i was not there 0- but it happened

never say " unclimbable "

"Rigorous testing" aka



Yeah. It's a wall.

a reply to: jjkenobi

Making it illegal to hire them won't stop the flow of human traffickers, guns, and drugs across the border.

You think that a wall is going to prevent or impact those illegal activities in any significant way. Are you the type that believes taking away guns will prevent criminals from getting them?

We are surrounded by water, air, tunnels, and not to mention good old American bribery.

read again what I said.

Once American companies are not paying illegals to come they wont come. That leaves plenty of the existing resources to cover the Few that are only coming here to cause problems and easier to spot.

What I said was if you take care of the illegal immigrants that are coming here for jobs you will have the resources to go after the human traffickers, guns, and drugs across the border. Then the problem becomes more manageable to go after the trouble makers.

The wall wont make it any more manageable, since we are surrounded by water, air, tunnels, and bribery.

originally posted by: GuidedKill
a reply to: face23785

No Wall is impassable......

That's absolutely right...I envision Mexican siege towers...pushed across the miles of heat baked desert by endless waves of third worlders...all intent on reaching the promised land on the other side...where the grass is always greener...

Matter of fact...

here's the proof




YouSir

a reply to: face23785

surprisingly, trampoline stocks are on a steady climb.

invest now!

Unsurprisingly many seem to be commenting before reading the article or even bothering to educate themselves on the topic.

Ignorance is bliss...

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: face23785

I still don't like the wall as a deterrent.
I would much rather see immigration reform to allow these people a better path to become Americans.
Just seems like a lot of money better used elsewhere.

Wise words that fall on deaf ears.

a reply to: face23785

Is this supposed to convince everyone the wall works, needs improving or replacing the whole thing?

Id dunna matter how tall, long, or impervious it is. Going around, under or bribing ones way thru it will always continue.

The wall is mostly symbolic, deflection from the real issues.

a reply to: interupt42

Oh no, your thinking logically and looking at the deeper issue... that kind of nonsense won't go down well in a pro-Trump thread.

Trump obviously has no intention to attack illegal immigration at the root of the cause, which is the US's addiction to cheap labour.

Sorry to give a dose of reality, but it just wouldn't be possible to have illegal immigration on the scale that the US has in most other countries... their systems just simply wouldn't accomodate it.

Trumps wall is nothing more than a 25 billion dollar power trip... so he can claim he followed though on his compaign promises... which would be a lie within itself, since if anyone cares to remember, he promised he would build it and the American people wouldn't pay for it.