The biggest budget cuts so far to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border are on the horizon. The border wall will have a total of $3.6 billion funneled from military projects like schools, target ranges and maintenance facilities, The Associated Press reports.
$1.1 billion in cuts would directly affect the continental U.S. but projects in 23 states, 19 countries and three U.S. territories would either be completely killed or temporarily stalled–all for a wall that’s effectiveness has come under serious scrutiny.
Even though the money being siphoned for the wall, an attempt to keep out immigrants crossing the border, is temporary, the projects that will be stalled or cut completely might be very difficult to fund again in the future.
Some of the projects that will be stalled, or perhaps cut completely, is new parking at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York and a “cyber ops facility” in Hampton, Virginia and the expansion of a missile defense field at Fort Greeley, Alaska.
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All in all, this batch of funding will only provide for about 115 miles of new pedestrian fencing in areas where there isn’t any now.
Democrats, outraged over Trump’s use of an emergency order for the wall, promised they won’t approve money to start them up again, according to AP News.
On top of the doubtful effectiveness of a border wall, the stretches of it along the Rio Grande and through a wildlife refuge in Arizona will likely start lengthy legal battles that will continue to rack up the bill and delay the wall itself.
“It doesn’t take any input from the local communities. It will take away from the private property rights,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. “We are going to do everything we can to stop the president.”
However, even with a wall, the surge in migration is unlikely to stop as Mexico’s economy continues to show signs of stress.
