A showdown with Congress appears on the horizon as White House Prepares Draft National Emergency Order that includes $7 billion for the wall.
The White House is preparing a draft proclamation for President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency along the southern border and has identified more than $7 billion in potential funds for his signature border wall should he go that route, according to internal documents reviewed by CNN.
“The massive amount of aliens who unlawfully enter the United States each day is a direct threat to the safety and security of our nation and constitutes a national emergency,” a draft of a presidential proclamation reads.
“Now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C 1601, et seq.), hereby declare that a national emergency exists at the southern border of the United States,” the draft adds.
According to options being considered, the administration could pull: $681 million from treasury forfeiture funds, $3.6 billion in military construction, $3 billion in Pentagon civil works funds, and $200 million in Department of Homeland Security funds, the official said.
If the declaration is made, the US Army Corps of Engineers would be deployed to construct the wall, some of which could be built on private property and would therefore require the administration to seize the land, which is permitted if it’s for public use.
The draft document cites Title 10 of the US Code, which allows Trump to unlock a stash of Pentagon funds that are earmarked but have no signed contracts for spending that money. That would give the President authority to pull from military construction funds and civil works projects, like infrastructure repair projects.
Options under consideration conceded that acquiring private property would take time. Even if voluntary, the land could take up to a year to be acquired. Land condemnation cases are known to take time because property owners have the right to sue. A national emergency declaration would not speed that process up, a government official says.
Expect Lawsuits
- Expect a lawsuit from Congress.
- Expect a request for a temporary restraining order as the case makes its way through the courts.
- Expect lawsuits from land owners who will fight this.
Israeli Wall
Trump touts the wall in Israel as proof walls work. Let’s take a look.
Meanwhile, back in the US ….
$7 Billion Wall Meets $20 Ladder in Arizona
On Monday #CBP #YumaSector Border Patrol agents apprehended a group of 110+ Central Americans who illegally scaled the wall with the assistance of a smuggler with a ladder #NationalSecurity #SouthwestBorder pic.twitter.com/T19JzI3xeC
— CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) January 23, 2019
Over 100 migrants scaled that wall in Arizona.
Eight Flawed Designs
Please consider Eight Wall Prototypes, None Meet Operational Standards or Trump’s Cost Estimate
I am sure one can make a wall design that is ladder proof.
But at what cost?
Think dollar terms but also think about property confiscation and alternatives.
And what about bomb proof? Bazooka proof?
Israel only needs a fence.
Why?
Because they will shoot anyone in that zone?
Death Wall Might Work
If you want to build a wall that works, make it a double wall each 6 feet tall, with 40 yards separating the walls.
Shoot anything with two legs that enters the zone. After a few deaths and huge public outcry, the illegal entries from Mexico would stop.
That is not a serious suggestion, I am merely stating a wall plan that would be cheaper and arguably work better.
How badly do we want to protect our borders?
Like Israel? Like the Berlin Wall after WWII?
Nothing else at reasonable cost may work.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
The ladder video does more to promote the wall (or make it higher) than convince viewers not to build it.
This is a political payoff for someone, this multi-billion boondoggle will have unGodly cost overruns and in the end illegals will be tunnel experts…
Roosevelt made a reservation in 1907 for Federal government to use 60 feet at the border in California and New Mexico and Arizona so in those States there is no issue with acquiring the land and no need to use eminent domain and the wall can be just built on the 60 feet at the border thanks to Roosevelt reservation.
Where there is a border on the river or a natural obstacle the Roosevelt reservation reserved 60 feet at the border from the bank of the river or end of the natural obstacle.
The only issue with acquiring land is in Texas but even there Army, Federal wildlife refuges, and Government and State of Texas own lots of land on the border and in those places a wall can be constructed quickly.
Also some private landowners are volunteering their land and that can also be used quickly to build a wall.
Rest of the land can be got through use of the Emergency declaration and eminent domain and only take enough land to build the wall on the border so no mass land grabs are needed.
30 feet on the border should be enough for a wall and 60 feet if you want a road next to the wall for maintenance and border patrol surveillance.
The wall can also be built at the border and where the border is the river the wall can be built on the banks of the border so need for mass land grabs.
Why are American workers being replaced by imported H1B visa workers?
“In 2018, for example, U.S.-based companies asked for visas to import 138 editors, 88 producers, 221 writers, six publishers, and 347 graphic designers, according to the MyVisaJobs.com website.”
“In 2017, companies asked for temporary visas to import 222 editors, 95 producers, 237 writers, ten publishers, and 556 graphic designers, mostly for jobs in New York and California, according to the MyVisaJobs.com site.”
There certainly are Americans available to do these jobs. No need to import foreigners.
The implication is that American-based jobs are being filled by H-1B staff because they are cheaper than hiring locals, depressing wages across the industry.
This is a fair argument, but needs backed up with facts. From my personal experience working in an area with a high number of H1-B staff, I can say there is anecdotal evidence to support this to a degree. There are two counterarguments I hear, as this is an issue that is discussed fairly frequently:
The number of H1-Bs is so small that it isn’t materially impactful.
There is such a shortage of talent that without H1-B staff companies plans for growth in America would be inhibited and they would be forced to offshore the entire department (which I’ve seen happen with varying degrees of success).
This looks like a really good subject for an Economics PhD thesis (if it already hasn’t).
The minimum wage for H1B’s needs to put at 250k to stop replacing Americans with H1B’s just to lower wages and only allow real geniuses through.
Currently 90%ish of the H1B’s are in the lowest wage class they are allowed so 90%ish of H1B immigration is just wage dumping.
That is a good idea – I’ve heard numbers of $125K or so before in discussions. But basically, ensuring that we are not bringing entry level talent into the country is a good idea. Another idea I’ve heard is an auction – where companies bid on a limited number of H1-Bs and those offering the highest wages win – usually with a floor of e.g. $125K.
The pay floor for H1B should be set at 95 percentile of the profession. And only certain professions should qualify.
Also, if you think about it, a wall just begs a ladder! Border security has to be that the “opposition” not knowing how you kind find out how they are detected (hence the concept of border security). More importantly, the vast majority of illegals in the US crossed into the country legally via border checkpoints and overstayed their visa…not sure how a wall will help there.
The fundamental problem of Trump’s wall is that it was never a solution but a slogan!
“Israeli Wall”
That picture of a fence is not the Israeli wall that i saw in reports when it was being built. It was tall and looked like it was made of concrete. A rather formidable barrier.
I don’t care if the wall is built or not, but having a wall is a deterrent. Believing otherwise is asinine. People can bring a ladder or tunnel underneath, but the wall makes it lot more difficult to cross the border.
CJ my point is valid. If you enforce the border with death threats, it does not matter whether one is attempting to enter or leave. They will be reluctant to try. Some people on Twitter want mines. I will write this up in more detail.
The crazy proposals about mines or shooting illegals are a tactic used by leftist agitators to make the issue a choice between mines/shooting vs. keeping the border completely open which would lead to the border staying completely open.
Build the WALL n the WHOLE US-Mexico border and you stop most of the migrants and even more after you hire more border patrol to guard that wall (no shooting needed, teargas is enough) and more ICE agents to catch and deport illegals currently in USA.
So they will build steps on the other side of the wall. Or use ladders. Or get on a boat and go around the wall. Stop being thick as a brick.
“So, the question all this drama leaves me with: why didn’t Trump simply get the funding when the Republicans had all the power? “
I have a friend who believes Trump does not really want a wall. Rather, he wants an issue to exploit and be in constant media attention.
I disagree, but if you believe that, it answers your question.
Passing laws giving money to build a border wall requires 60 Senate votes.
Republicans had 51 Senate votes in 2016-2018 and now Republicans have 53 Senate votes.
So Trump and Republicans could NOT and can NOT pass the laws to fund a wall unless 9 Democrats (2016-2018) or 7 Democrats (2019-) vote with them to fund building the wall.
So, the question all this drama leaves me with: why didn’t Trump simply get the funding when the Republicans had all the power? He had 2 years to get it done but decided to wait until the Democrats were in a position to block him. Did he want the wall but was he simply not capable enough to realize it should best be done while he could? Do the Republicans not really want a wall and did they stall so they could let Democrats take the heat for opposing it? Or does he not really want a wall at all, but does he want to look like he is fighting for a wall (without actually having to deal with all the hassle and likely failure to stop immigration that will come with it)?
Hey, you’re not supposed to ask questions like that, you’re supposed to take the kabuki theater seriously! Next you’ll be asking why we haven’t pulled out of the ME wars (despite assurances to the contrary) and why Hillary walks around free!
‘Round the clock news cycles are long and we have to fight about something other than bankers shifting wealth upward. Fortunately we have Trump and AOC, both of whom command the small screen well and serve as useful lightning rods. Are we not entertained?
There’s this thing called a filibuster. You actually need 60 senate votes to ram most things through.
The Great Wall of China’s long legacy
The Ming dynasty built a giant wall stretching 5,000 miles to keep invaders out of China, but how effective was it against the enemy?
By Borja Pelegero Alcaide
PUBLISHED December 31, 2018
Desolately the wind rises.
We march thousands of miles over vast distances.
Why do we cross the deserts?
To build the Great Wall.
This poem, written by Emperor Yangdi at the beginning of the seventh century A.D., is a lyrical reminder of the centuries spent by the Chinese building a wall to repel foreign invaders. Just one among many defensive strategies that China employed, the Great Wall stretches more than 5,000 miles long. Rather than one continuous wall, it consists of many smaller pieces, all built during different eras in history.
Walls work, just ask Israel.
Fences topped with barbwire work, just ask Hungary.
Feb 1, 2016
7 Famous Border Walls
From an ancient Sumerian bulwark to the Berlin Wall, here are seven of history’s most influential manmade barriers.
Getting Trump to declare an emergency is clearly Pelosi’s goal. I am guessing she thinks that if he does that, the American people will oppose the action. She may well be right, but we’ll see what happens if he does it.
As far the time to acquire the land, the wall will take a couple years to build anyway. They can start wherever they can buy land, and in some cases, if a landowner doesn’t wish to sell, rather than condemning his land, they might find it easier to go around him, and build the wall a bit further to the north.
Google “Roosevelt reservation”.
Roosevelt made a reservation in 1907 for Federal government to use 60 feet of the border in California and New Mexico and Arizona so in those States there is no issue with acquiring the land and no need to use eminent domain and the wall can be just built on the 60 feet at the border.
Where there is a border on the river or obstacle the Roosevelt reservation reserved 60 feet at the border from the bank of the river or end of the obstacle.
The only issue with acquiring land is in Texas but even there Army, Federal wildlife refuges, and Government and State of Texas own lots of land on the border where a wall can be constructed quickly.
Also some private landowners are volunteering their land and that can also be used quickly.
Rest of the land can be got through use of the Emergency declaration and eminent domain and only take enough land to build the wall on the border so no mass land grabs are needed.
30 feet on the border should be enough for a wall and 60 feet if you want a road next to the wall for maintenance and border patrol surveillance.
Comparing Trump’s Wall to the Berlin Wall is disingenuous Mish, and I am seriously disappointed in you. The Berlin Wall kept people from leaving, while the Trump Wall will allow Americans to decide who they want to allow in. They are OPPOSITES, not comparisons. The ladder thing just supports the case for a better Wall.
It does not have to be perfect. No need for a shooting zone. Just a 20 foot steel slat-wall fence, with flat portions at the top of the wall, unlike the one in the video. Some would get past that, but so what? Some fencing is needed, anyone who works Border Patrol knows that. No need to be stupid. Dems all voted for the same thing before, this is just about the 2020 election. If the Dems had won the Senate it would make more sense but they lost the Senate. Politics = Compromise.
30 feet steel slat wall and the last 10 feet should be with complete steel so difficult to climb and put barbwire on top and sensors on the wall and surveillance cameras near the wall to detect any intrusion attempts.
“If you want to build a wall that works, make it a double wall each 6 feet tall, with 40 yards separating the walls.
Shoot anything with two legs that enters the zone. After a few deaths and huge public outcry, the illegal entries from Mexico would stop.
That is not a serious suggestion, I am merely stating a wall plan that would be cheaper and arguably work better.”
Serious suggestion or not, it seems likely to work! Just send it to the White House in case they miss your post. If it costs less it is good for the tax-payer
“Border Infrastructure Project,” the map read, and across its center was a red line that cut through the Cavazos family barn, through their rental house, and through a field where they grazed a small herd of longhorn cattle.
“This is where they want to put the wall,” Fred said, tracing his finger along the line. “They want to divide the property in half and cut us off from the river.”
Incompetent bureaucrats making stupid plans OR Democrat bureaucrats intentionally making stupid plans to cause an outcry that would stop any wall being built.
If they make a wall that is dangerous to scale, people will die trying (e.g. ladders falling over) making it effectively a death wall.
Let’s electrify the wall. That’ll learn them, after they lose a few people.
What America needs to be great again is a wall to keep these people away from the wall. Why won’t Trump build the wall wall?
Where were the howling when the previous walls were built?
Whoever did it was pretty good at deals.
I see you were really busy spamming in the comment section. 4 comments in 5 mins, and accounted for 4 out of 12 comments.
Those bureaucrats that would use a year to get land acquired if it is donated need to be fired immediately since they are clearly incompetent.
And the land issue is only in Texas and even there there is lots of land owned by army and Federal government and State of Texas where a wall could be put quickly.
And one other thing is that US does not need to take all of people’s land at the border, they just need 20-30ish feet on the border for a wall.
Can’t build a wall in the river…. sucks to be those landowners!
“Border Infrastructure Project,” the map read, and across its center was a red line that cut through the Cavazos family barn, through their rental house, and through a field where they grazed a small herd of longhorn cattle.
“This is where they want to put the wall,” Fred said, tracing his finger along the line. “They want to divide the property in half and cut us off from the river.”
That plan is an incompetent plan made by either totally incompetent bureaucrats OR Democratic bureaucrats making incompetent plans intentionally to cause an outcry and stop a wall from being built.
Incompetent (or not) they are the bureaucrats we have . . . and who thus will implement said plan . . .
The border, especially in Texas along the rio grande, is a very ziggity zaggity line. The wall will not be built within 20-30 feet of the border. Instead, it will cede millions of acres of private property,not to mention the river itself, to the Mexican side. This is the biggest land giveaway in U.S. history.
There is NO need to cede millions of acres, just build the wall along the river 30-60 feet from the river and give landowners a gate that they can open to take their cattle to drink or visit that part of their land.
Yeah and with a gate and a cordless 4.5″ grinder I’ll be through in 10 min tops . . .
Also a wall on the border is NOT the only thing that will fix things.
USA also needs:
-Mandatory e-Verify with large punishment to companies and individuals employing illegals.
-Stopping birthright citizenship
-Stopping all sanctuary cities and states by Federal law
-biometric entry/exit system to stop visa overstays by immediately alerting ICE and police forces about all the people that overstay their visas.
-Tightening of giving visas to those countries where their citizens overstay in USA the most.
-STOP to all welfare for illegal immigrants
-More ICE troops to deport the 29.5 million illegal immigrants in USA currently.
-Mandatory federal law to make all jails, prisons, police etc. report illegals to ICE so they can be deported
That part of fence is not as high as the other bollard fencing that has been built in parts of the border under Trump to replace previous fencing.
I am sure the new wall/fence/barrier will be higher and more difficult to climb.
Also there was NO barbwire on that fence and hopefully all fences on the border will be topped with barbwire.
Furthermore there should be sensors and cameras put on the wall so that once one guy starts climbing the wall border patrol is alerted immediately so if people get through it should be 5-10 instead of 110.
Also USA should demand that Mexico also start patrolling their side of the border so that if they see migrants coming they arrest them on the Mexican side and in the event they are not spotted then US border patrol call will lead to Mexican government sending troops on the other side to arrest the 100 that did not get through and transport them to southern Mexico or back to their home countries.
This kind of co-operation should have been required already in the NAFTA replacement treaty.
The NAFTA replacement treaty should have also required that Mexico does NOT let migrants travel through Mexico freely and instead stops caravans and migrant groups already at Mexico’s southern border with border checks OR gives them an option to ask asylum from Mexico and deports them back home from Mexico if they do not ask for asylum in Mexico.
Currently Mexico is betraying USA by giving migrants even transit visas and allowing them to come through whole of Mexico.
More important than the wall is enforcing the law, drastic prosecution for employers who do not vet people with E-verify, no services or anchor babies, etc. It’s like the drugs trade — it’s all about incentives, not interdiction. Interdicting drugs is simply tax-payer funded enforcement of a monopoly by the worst kind of thugs. Similiarly, the fact that nothing serious has been done about illegal immigration is because politically not everybody is on board … enforcing existing statutes would have solved the incentives long ago.
So why isn’t the major media hitting e-verify hard, talking it up, explaining why it would be the best solution? Is it too esoteric for the public to understand?
Major media wants the illegal immigration to continue since it benefits economically those billionaires owning the media and illegal immigration benefits Democrats since they get new voters to replace former-Democrats voting for Trump.
Climate change, healthcare, income inequality, gun violence. All national emergencies now.