Trump gets his wall, apparently with help from south of border

President Donald Trump’s border wall has been built apparently with assistance from Mexicans who were smuggled into the United States illegally.

That may be an ironic final note for the project that has become the symbol of Trump’s disputed, hardline approach to immigration policy.

The wall was supposed to block people from Mexico and other countries from crossing the border illegally, and keep them from taking U.S. jobs. The border barrier may be doing that, to some degree.

But in at least one instance, construction of the wall may have resulted in just the opposite, according to a federal lawsuit reported by The New York Times on Monday.

The first paragraph of the Times’ story seems fantastical: “Two whistleblowers have accused contractors building President Trump’s border wall of smuggling armed Mexican security teams into the United States to guard construction sites, even building an illegal dirt road to speed the operation,” according to court documents ...

Trump had promised Mexico would pay for the wall, which hasn’t happened. If the accusations prove true, that means U.S. taxpayer dollars likely were used to pay Mexicans to help with the project.

The claims were made by a former deputy sheriff in San Diego County and a former FBI special agent who were providing security for the wall construction, according to the Times.

The two said a contractor “went so far as to build a dirt road to expedite illegal border crossings to sites in San Diego, using construction vehicles to block security cameras,” the Times wrote.

“An unnamed supervisor at the Army Corps of Engineers approved the operation, according to a complaint ...”

The contractor dismissed the accusations, contending they came from disgruntled security officers, while federal officials declined to comment on pending litigation.

Regardless of how that plays out, it appears Trump may reach his goal of constructing 450 miles of border wall, or fencing, during his term. As of a month ago, more than 400 miles had been built. Most of it is replacing existing old and sometimes dilapidated barriers.

Construction has been ramped up in recent months and in some locations work reportedly has been going on round the clock.

When he ran for president, Trump suggested a continuous wall would stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. That was never practical and, in some regions, would have taken an engineering miracle. He has since ratcheted back his ambitions at least a few times.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who becomes president on Jan. 20, has said he will undo many of Trump’s immigration initiatives. He has taken aim at the wall, saying in August “there will not be another foot of wall constructed” during his administration.

Biden has pledged to take a more high-tech approach to border security and bolster the ports of entry.

Shutting down construction can be done, but it