Trump is listening to Border agents on the structure of a barrier

Daily Caller:
Border Patrol agents know exactly what they want in a border wall, and every mile varies.

Immigration experts tell The Daily Caller that President Donald Trump’s vision for a border barrier is informed directly by the requests of Border Patrol agents.

Trump tweeted one day before the partial government shutdown that he was looking into building a “steel slat barrier” that is “totally effective.” The tweet sparked endless media stories and mockery about how Trump was backing down on his campaign promise of a concrete border wall.

“Whatever you want to call it, it’s all the same,” Trump also said, seemingly softening his stance on the “wall” amid efforts to make a deal with Democrats.

Immigration experts, however, tell The Daily Caller that Trump has embraced new ideas about what kinds of barriers will be effective on the border after viewing various prototypes and speaking directly with Border Patrol agents on the ground. They also make clear that Trump’s newfound focus on “steel slats” does not mean that a concrete wall is now completely obsolete.

There is “not a one-size-fits-all” approach to a border barrier, former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Thomas Homan told TheDC in a phone interview.

“There are different types depending on the terrain,” Homan explained, adding that steel slats are one of many options because “guys on the ground like the option of seeing through the other side.”

One person familiar with the administration’s border policy similarly made clear that proposed barriers are “not uniform” across the border and are dependent on what Border Patrol agents say they require in their respective zones.

For example, areas near the Rio Grande river that are prone to flooding may require a concrete wall similar to Trump’s original campaign proposal, while drier areas like Calexico, California would be better served by a fence. The height of physical barriers would also vary depending on how highly trafficked border sections are.
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Trump is willing to listen to the people familiar with the terrain and with the problems posed by illegal immigration.  Democrats remain stubbornly willfully ignorant on the issue.  The position of the Democrats is an immoral dereliction of duty to protect the integrity of the border and the American people.

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