First-ever private border wall built in New Mexico

[Anti Federalist]

First-ever private border wall built in New Mexico

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news...lt-new-mexico/

Half-mile section to close 'gap' in Border Patrol's fence

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Monday, May 27, 2019

A private group announced Monday that it has constructed a half-mile wall along a section of the U.S.-Mexico border in New Mexico, in what it said was a first in the border debate.

The 18-foot steel bollard wall is similar to the designs used by the Border Patrol, sealing off a part of the border that had been a striking gap in existing fencing, according to We Build the Wall, the group behind the new section.

The section was also built faster and, organizers say, likely more cheaply than the government has been able to manage in recent years.

Kris Kobach, a former secretary of state in Kansas and an informal immigration adviser to President Trump, says the New Mexico project has the president’s blessing and says local Border Patrol agents are eager to have the assistance.

“We’re closing a gap that’s been a big headache for them,” said Mr. Kobach, who is general counsel for We Build the Wall.

The announcement comes at a critical time for the border.

Mr. Trump’s plans to build hundreds of miles of new and replacement wall took a hit late last week when a federal judge ordered a halt to part of his emergency declaration and shifting of money within the Pentagon to make up for Congress’s refusal to grant him the money he wanted.

Judge Haywood Gilliam says the president can’t spend money when Congress has debated it and refused to approve it.

Enter We Build the Wall, which says now that it’s proved it can build border wall. The group has eyes on other areas where private landowners hold border lands and want a barrier to cut down on the illegal traffic across their property.

The new wall begins at the Rio Grande and runs up to the lower elevations of Mount Cristo Rey. The wall on the Texas side ends at the river, and there used to be a gap on the New Mexico side running from the river over to Mount Cristo Rey.

Two parking lots, one on the Mexican side and one on the U.S. side, with naught but a ditch to separate them, offered a convenient staging point for would-be migrants.

Mr. Kobach says agents have told him perhaps 100 migrants a night cross — but the bigger problem is that they would cross, gaining agents’ attention, then drug smugglers would use the distraction to run drugs through elsewhere in the gap.

A typical night could exceed $100,000 worth of drugs through the gap, Mr. Kobach said.

Construction began Friday and will be completed Tuesday. Tommy Fisher’s Fisher Sand & Gravel did the construction.

Mr. Fisher has been in the news recently with Mr. Trump suggesting repeatedly and publicly that the government should consider his outfit for future border wall construction.

He was one of the contractors selected in 2017 to build wall prototypes in San Diego. None of those prototypes was deemed contract-worthy, and Congress has forbidden the Border Patrol from using any of those designs anyway.

More recently, Mr. Fisher announced he could build 234 miles of fencing at $1.4 billion — or about $6 million per mile. That’s about a quarter of the cost of Mr. Trump’s current fencing, which goes off at about $25 million per mile.

The half-mile in New Mexico cost $8 million, but Mr. Kobach said because part of it involved building on Mount Cristo Rey and involved moving a lot of dirt, that’s more expensive than most mileage would be.

A private wall has been a dream of border security enthusiasts for years.

More than a decade ago, adherents of the Minuteman movement, which sought to draw attention to the lack of border barriers in Arizona, constructed some fencing on a ranch in southeastern Arizona. The fencing was approved by local authorities as a way to corral cattle but was also seen as a way of blocking illegal migration, The Arizona Daily Star reported in 2006.

Organizers said funding didn’t materialize to finish that project.

The new wall in New Mexico is up along the border and designed just like the Border Patrol’s structures, intended to be a deterrent to illegal crossing.

[Swordsmyth]

[Zippyjuan]

People asking what ever happened to the $ millions raised for a wall in that GoFundMe campaign.

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/...r-wall-go.html

Donors to Stalled Campaign That Raised $20 Million for Border Wall Want Answers


In January, in the winter of our historic government shutdown, the White House Office of Management and Budget sent a letter to Congress, claiming it would need $5.7 billion to pay for 234 miles of steel slat barriers along the border, which equates to a sound investment of $24.4 million per mile. To help get there, triple-amputee veteran Brian Kolfage founded a GoFundMe called We Build the Wall, raising $20 million to help secure the southern border — or at least four fifths of a mile of it.

But after four progressless months from We Build the Wall, Trump supporters who donated to the crowdfunding effort want to know where their money went. A woman asked on the We Build the Wall Facebook page: “I am very disappointed in you Brian Kolfage, where are the progress photographs?” “Why no updates on the status of the wall?” one user asked on Twitter. “I have a feeling this is a scam.”

Considering the online history of Brian Kolfage, the question is a valid one. As the Daily Beast reports, Kolfage “was a prolific operator of hoax pages on Facebook, and money he raised in the past to help veterans’ programs in hospitals never actually went to those hospitals.” The vet, who lost three of his limbs in a rocket attack in Iraq in 2004, founded sites including FreedomDaily, which ran headlines like “Obnoxious Black People Lose Their Minds When Victoria Secret Models Say This 1 Word On Live Video.” The site was shuttered after it was sued for misidentifying a Michigan resident as the driver of the car that killed a protestor in the Charlottesville riot.

To help promote his crowdfunded wall-building effort, Kolfage recruited Trump-world all stars like Steve Bannon; former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach; pitcher and the bane of Rhode Island Curt Schilling; Blackwater founder Erik Prince; and ex-Milwaukee sheriff David Clarke to join the group’s advisory board. In January, Kobach told the New York Times that We Build the Wall would “be hopefully breaking ground within weeks.” That timeframe has been pushed back on a few occasions. In March, Kolfage said they would “start breaking ground” in April, but he also told Politico that “we should be turning dirt on this thing by May 1, June 1 at the latest.”

In addition to the timeline, other major problems remain. To avoid possible issues of sovereignty, Kolfage intends to build on private land in Arizona. In the Politico interview, he mentioned that he had eight locations lined up, but did not name them, citing “liberal groups who want to sue us and impede our progress.” But as the Phoenix New Times points out: “The vast majority of the border in Arizona exists on land owned by the federal government — land where private citizens cannot build their own walls.” Then, of course, is the inevitability of answering to donors, like the anonymous person who gave We Build the Wall $50,000 and might want an update on how their money is being allocated.

A while ago he claimed the wall was nearly finished. Now he says construction will start "soon".

"The liberal fake news thinks it’s not happening... but it’s already begun! We have given exclusive rights to our completion ceremony to a major network, only then will we release Images of our completed wall. It’s almost complete!"

https://www.vladtv.com/article/25484...to-lavish-life


Donors were told they would be invited to the ground breaking to start construction- nobody has heard anything.

[Schifference]

I am thinking the building department will soon issue a demand the wall be removed. Failure to do so will result in the city/county removing said wall at owners expense.

[PAF]

As long as they did not impose their wall on area private owners/businesses who do not want the wall, it is a Free Market approach that I can accept.

Good thing my offspring an I visited again earlier this year to enjoy the beautiful views. We purchased several cool souvenirs, ate really great food, etc. After the trip and much discussion, we have no desire to ever return again to look at ugly prison walls, certainly when the root cause is not being addressed by this corrupt government. As a Free Market advocate who does not believe in "too big to fail", I wonder how long before more people will choose not to go and stop supporting the local economies. I for one would NEVER vacation, buy property or a business next to a prison wall.

[Swordsmyth]

In what might be seen as a Memorial Day gift to President Trump, residents of a mountain range outside of El Paso today woke up to a new vista—a mile-long wall of metal slats constructed along the border with Mexico that just shot up over the weekend. The secret project, which started on Friday evening and was completed by Monday morning, was the work of We Build the Wall, a new group whose director is the former White House strategist Steve Bannon. The CEO is Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage, who had raised $20 million to build the wall through his GoFundMe project, but it appeared to be floundering until Bannon took the helm.Bannon, who for much of the weekend was in Kazakhstan for a geopolitical seminar, says the project, overseen by construction mogul Tommy Fisher of North Dakota-based Fisher Industries, involved hundreds of workers and cost $6 million.
He says his group asked local authorities what is the most dangerous part of the border with Mexico, and they were pointed to this precarious mountain strip, “where the cartels and asylum seekers are coming in” through a gap between two 21-mile strips of completed wall. The group hastily “purchased the rights” to the land and went at it Friday evening. “We had to catch them by surprise,” says Bannon, who predicts residents are “gonna freak out” when they see what was erected over the past two days.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/bannon-built-...140449962.html

[Anti Globalist]

How ironic is it that New Mexico was the first state to do this?

[Swordsmyth]

How ironic is it that New Mexico was the first state to do this?

Just as ironic as their governor asking for federal help now after she pulled the National Guard off the border.

[RonZeplin]

A few of us Campo Minutemen at the border, Thanksgiving 08.



JC, Max, Kingfish, Woody, Ridgerunner, Viking.

Runway mat border wall to the right.

MORE - Campo Minutemen blog

[Danke]

Good thing my offspring an I.. .

YOU BRED!

Holy $#@!.

[Danke]

A few of us Campo Minutemen at the border, Thanksgiving 08.



JC, Max, Kingfish, Woody, Ridgerunner, Viking.

Runway mat border wall to the right.

MORE - Campo Minutemen blog

hmm...

"Watch Advisor, whose group monitors the border east of Campo, reports that these job sites are good targets for material thieves. Most have been from the south side since the materials are left sometimes less than 100 feet from the border. His group chased off a group of six one night while they were on duty guarding two sites for Kiewit last month. They had climbed onto a dozer and were attempting to remove tool kits, fire extinguishers, and other items It didn't work out for them in the end."

[RonZeplin]

hmm...

"Watch Advisor, whose group monitors the border east of Campo, reports that these job sites are good targets for material thieves. Most have been from the south side since the materials are left sometimes less than 100 feet from the border. His group chased off a group of six one night while they were on duty guarding two sites for Kiewit last month. They had climbed onto a dozer and were attempting to remove tool kits, fire extinguishers, and other items It didn't work out for them in the end."

Ooops, posted link for Dec, here's the one with the pics Nov '08. https://campominutemen.blogspot.com/2008/11/

Bush may have built more wall in '08 than Trump has. Scroll down to '08 new wall pics. But only in short sections, with open border at ends as RidgeRunner (Me) Update indicates.

[enhanced_deficit]

Bannon is a fighter, sometimes MAGA and Jarvanka don't appreciate him as much as they should.

[asurfaholic]

As long as they did not impose their wall on area private owners/businesses who do not want the wall, it is a Free Market approach that I can accept.

Good thing my offspring an I visited again earlier this year to enjoy the beautiful views. We purchased several cool souvenirs, ate really great food, etc. After the trip and much discussion, we have no desire to ever return again to look at ugly prison walls, certainly when the root cause is not being addressed by this corrupt government. As a Free Market advocate who does not believe in "too big to fail", I wonder how long before more people will choose not to go and stop supporting the local economies. I for one would NEVER vacation, buy property or a business next to a prison wall.

I don’t care if it’s a taxpayer or privately funded wall. A wall is a wall, and I don’t believe a wall is the answer. Remove welfare and obscene drug laws and watch the problems mostly disappear.

[Superfluous Man]

As long as they did not impose their wall on area private owners/businesses who do not want the wall, it is a Free Market approach that I can accept.

Good thing my offspring an I visited again earlier this year to enjoy the beautiful views. We purchased several cool souvenirs, ate really great food, etc. After the trip and much discussion, we have no desire to ever return again to look at ugly prison walls, certainly when the root cause is not being addressed by this corrupt government. As a Free Market advocate who does not believe in "too big to fail", I wonder how long before more people will choose not to go and stop supporting the local economies. I for one would NEVER vacation, buy property or a business next to a prison wall.

I don’t care if it’s a taxpayer or privately funded wall. A wall is a wall, and I don’t believe a wall is the answer. Remove welfare and obscene drug laws and watch the problems mostly disappear.

I agree with both of these posts. The solution is for those who don't want a wall to buy property on the border and exercise their right not to build a wall there or even to buy property where there is a wall and remove it, just as some are exercising their right to build one.

Truthfully, we all know that if this private approach really were followed exclusively, there wouldn't end up being much of a wall at the border, because those who say they want it don't really want it badly enough to fund it with their own money at the level of funding that it would require. Like all statists, they only want what they're asking for when other people who don't want it are forced to cover most of the cost.

[PAF]

I don’t care if it’s a taxpayer or privately funded wall. A wall is a wall, and I don’t believe a wall is the answer. Remove welfare and obscene drug laws and watch the problems mostly disappear.

I agree with both of these posts. The solution is for those who don't want a wall to buy property on the border and exercise their right not to build a wall there or even to buy property where there is a wall and remove it, just as some are exercising their right to build one.

Truthfully, we all know that if this private approach really were followed exclusively, there wouldn't end up being much of a wall at the border, because those who say they want it don't really want it badly enough to fund it with their own money at the level of funding that it would require. Like all statists, they only want what they're asking for when other people who don't want it are forced to cover most of the cost.

Likewise I agree with both of these posts.

[angelatc]

The CEO is Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage, who had raised $20 million to build the wall through his GoFundMe project, but it appeared to be floundering until Bannon took the helm

Steve Bannon for president

[Swordsmyth]

I don’t care if it’s a taxpayer or privately funded wall. A wall is a wall, and I don’t believe a wall is the answer. Remove welfare and obscene drug laws and watch the problems mostly disappear.

I agree with both of these posts. The solution is for those who don't want a wall to buy property on the border and exercise their right not to build a wall there or even to buy property where there is a wall and remove it, just as some are exercising their right to build one.

Truthfully, we all know that if this private approach really were followed exclusively, there wouldn't end up being much of a wall at the border, because those who say they want it don't really want it badly enough to fund it with their own money at the level of funding that it would require. Like all statists, they only want what they're asking for when other people who don't want it are forced to cover most of the cost.

Likewise I agree with both of these posts.

You can't claim to believe in liberty and oppose private walls.
The biggest incentive is our economy and we will still need either increased border patrols or a wall or both even if you end the WoD and welfare.

And the one who suggested buying land just to block or remove a private wall effort and the one who agreed with him have just exposed that their goal is to give aid and comfort to the enemy and destroy America.

[Swordsmyth]

Steve Bannon for president

You could do a lot worse, I'd seriously consider him if he ran.

[PAF]

You can't claim to believe in liberty and oppose private walls.
The biggest incentive is our economy and we will still need either increased border patrols or a wall or both even if you end the WoD and welfare.

And the one who suggested buying land just to block or remove a private wall effort and the one who agreed with him have just exposed that their goal is to give aid and comfort to the enemy and destroy America.

You have a severe habit of twisting words. More and more you sound like a nazi whose end goal is that only very specific people of a specific nation should be predetermined by you to be entitled to freedom, liberty and economic prosperity.

Therefore, you have absolutely no credibility.

[Swordsmyth]

You have a severe habit of twisting words. More and more you sound like a nazi whose end goal is that only very specific people of a specific nation should be predetermined by you to be entitled to freedom, liberty and economic prosperity.

Therefore, you have absolutely no credibility.

LOL

[asurfaholic]

I believe Ron Paul didn’t stutter and say only government built walls are capable of keeping people in. A wall is a wall.

I don’t believe a wall will fix any of the issues, regardless of pays for it.

[Swordsmyth]

I believe Ron Paul didn’t stutter and say only government built walls are capable of keeping people in. A wall is a wall.

I don’t believe a wall will fix any of the issues, regardless of pays for it.

Setting aside the question of a government wall, border land owners have a right to put up walls to protect themselves, their loved ones and their property.

[angelatc]

I believe Ron Paul didn’t stutter and say only government built walls are capable of keeping people in. A wall is a wall.

I don’t believe a wall will fix any of the issues, regardless of pays for it.

Of course not. But there's no support for ending the welfare state. Trump doesn't even talk about scaling any of that back, even though this is the perfect time. And even if he did, no way could he get the House to do that.

[Swordsmyth]

Of course not. But there's no support for ending the welfare state. Trump doesn't even talk about scaling any of that back, even though this is the perfect time. And even if he did, no way could he get the House to do that.

Trump is doing what he can:

New HUD rule prevents illegals from getting public housing assistance

Infuriating Democrats, Trump Plans To Redefine Poverty, Cutting Americans From Welfare

[enhanced_deficit]

Steve Bannon for president

Granted he was very upset over Roy Moore's defeat caused by Jarvanka and privately probably fuming over MAGA tweets insulting him as 'sloppy Steve', at this point it seems unlikely that he would primary MAGA in 2020.
Although, anything is possible in politics. There have been rumors that Obama insults at WHCD dinner motivated Trump to run for President.

[oyarde]

How ironic is it that New Mexico was the first state to do this?

It is not new and it is not mexico . Could be a little left of mexico .

[asurfaholic]

Setting aside the question of a government wall, border land owners have a right to put up walls to protect themselves, their loved ones and their property.

That's a good point. I hate the idea of a wall, but if the actual property owners want a wall or fence, then who am I to stop them.

[TheTexan]

They're paying for the wall out of their own pockets, on private property??

They're going about this whole thing all wrong.

[Anti Federalist]

That's a good point. I hate the idea of a wall, but if the actual property owners want a wall or fence, then who am I to stop them.

Do you have a front door on your home?