A GUIDE TO THE BORDER WALL

There is currently a barrier along a portion of the U.S. border with Mexico. Border Patrol agents say the wall helps control foot and drug traffic and it shields the U.S. from high crime in cities such as Juarez, Mexico. Advocates for immigrants, however, say the wall will not stop migrants and instead is shunting illegal border-crossers to more barren, dangerous locations.

2,000

The length, in miles, of the U.S.-Mexico border

650

The length of the current border barrier, in miles

$5.7 billion

The amount of wall funding that the Trump administration is seeking

230 miles

An estimate, in miles, of how much wall could be built with that money

$25 billion

One estimate of how much a full border wall would cost, something Trump has pushed for in the past

2 miles

The length of a steel-slat and concrete border wall completed last year in California. The project, which had been planned since 2009, replaced an existing barrier and took eight months from contract award to completion