As one of Donald Trump's most talked about, and polarising, campaign promises, his border Wall between Mexican and American territories has finally entered the prototype phase. There has been much debate over how effective the wall will really be at lowering the numbers of illegal immigrants, and many thought, and hoped, it would never materialise. That, however, doesn't appear to be the case...
The border wall begins.
A statement from the CBP, the government body tasked with customs and border protection, has said that construction has begun in remote locations in the Southern Texan city of San Diego.
It is reported that both local and federal law enforcement are heavily present, and due to the high levels of protest expected, they've even designated an area for public demonstrations.
A large number of contractors are said to have sent their proposals for consideration earlier in the year; 8 of these have been given the green light to develop their prototypes, which are said to be 30ft in both height and width. Half of these designs use concrete based materials, whilst the other half have been developed without them, and the "winning wall" is likely to comprise elements from a combination of both. Ronald Vitiello, a high ranking commissioner for the CBP, has stated that the wall will ensure they stay "committed to securing [the] border", but others are not so sure.
Will it deter, or stop, illegal immigrants?
That is the billion-dollar question on everybody's minds; this wall is not cheap, there are no exact figures, as the design is yet to be finalised, but estimates are in the region of $21billion. Trump has repeatedly said that Mexico will end up paying the bill, something Mexican officials have resoundingly denied, which means it's becoming increasingly likely that American taxes will be used to afford its construction.
Critics have mocked the idea as preposterous and inefficient, but Trump seems set on success, stating he "will pick the right one" himself during a recent speech in Alabama.
There was also concern over the environmental impact of the border, forcing the DHS to admit they would be waiving environmental rulings so that "extra barriers can be built".
All that's left now is for the three month long testing phase to begin, with officials testing the structural integrity of the designs, and seeing how they hold up to small tools such as hammers and pickaxes.
In the San Diego area where these prototypes now stand, there were 31,000 arrests of "illegal aliens" in 2016 alone; just how effective the wall will be is something only time can tell.
