U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced it’s starting construction on a new section of border wall near downtown El Paso.
Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Hull says this new wall replaces chain link fencing that has started to deteriorate. It will be made of steel, 18 feet high and four miles long. It’s expected to cost 22 million dollars.
"This new wall will be far more durable and far more effective in deterring would-be illegal entrants," Hall said at a press conference on Friday.
About 50 protestors were chanting as Hull spoke. Cynthia Pompa, with the ACLU Border Rights Center, was one of them.
"We know that these walls are only a symbol of hate," she said. "They don't reflect our real necessities."
Pompa believes the money would be better on spent on roads, schools and healthcare.
