Border walls came to symbolize Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, and were prioritized during his administration. The 400 miles of border wall that he has overseen will inflict ongoing damage upon Native American nations and border towns, fragile ecosystems and endangered species, for as long as they stand.
President-elect Biden has been far quieter regarding his plans for border walls. When pressed during an NPR interview he said that “not another foot” would be built while he is in office, which sounds like a solid promise to cancel border wall condemnations and construction contracts on day one.
But Joe Biden has been in the White House before, as Vice President during the Obama administration. Instead of halting construction and removing walls, they built more than 100 miles of new wall along the southwest border.
www.southernborder.org
By the end of President Bush’s time in office the U.S.-Mexico border was lined with 278 miles of 15-to-18-foot-tall pedestrian fence and 248 miles of vehicle barrier,
for a total of 526 miles. Of those, 135 miles had been built
prior to the passage of the Secure Fence Act.
The Obama-Biden Administration would oversee construction of an additional 128 miles of border wall. When Donald Trump was inaugurated in January of 2017 a total of
654 miles of border barrier (including both pedestrian fencing and vehicle barrier) were waiting for him.