Donald Trump wants to spend US$18 billion to extend his ‘big beautiful wall’ along border with Mexico
Mexico has steadfastly rejected Trump’s demand that it pay for the wall and few doubt that US taxpayers will foot the bill if the wall is built
The Trump administration has proposed spending US$18 billion over 10 years to significantly extend the border wall with Mexico, providing one of its most detailed blueprints of how the president hopes to carry out a signature campaign pledge.
The proposal by Customs and Border Protection calls for 505km of additional barrier by September 2027, bringing total coverage to 1,552km, or nearly half the border, according to a US official with direct knowledge of the matter.
It also calls for 651km of replacement or secondary fencing, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been made public.
Trump has promised “a big, beautiful wall” with Mexico as a centrepiece of his presidency but offered few details of where it would be built, when and at what cost. His administration asked for US$1.6 billion this year to build or replace 118km of fencing in Texas and California, and officials have said they also will seek US$1.6 billion next year.
The 10-year plan, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, resulted from discussions with senators who asked the agency what it would take to secure the border, the official said.
It comes as the administration intensifies negotiations in Congress on a package that may include granting legal status to about 800,000 people who were temporarily shielded from deportation under an Obama-era programme, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.