Looking at President Trump’s border wall, how does Yuma Sector’s fencing stack up?

President Trump’s plan to build the border wall along the U.S-Mexico border is underway.

According to the Trump Administration, the wall will be 1,250 miles long and is set for completion by 2020. Before 2005, Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents said they saw nearly 138,000 apprehensions in the Yuma region. However, a newly built fence contributed to a decrease in the amount of apprehensions by more than 75%. According to Yuma Sector Border Patrol agent Justin Kallinger, the decrease is attributed to the infrastructure. “It’s a barrier that helps us make up some time,” agent Kallinger said. “It’s also a deterrent. When people see a giant fence behind them or in front of them, it makes them think twice about possibly trying to go over it.” While the Trump Administration is set to move forward with the border wall, statistics prove, Yuma’s border has gotten increasingly safer since 2006. “Now [we can] stand next to this fence and feel secure about it,” Kallinger said. “That’s something we couldn’t do in 2005, so infrastructure was a big influence on how we got control of this area.”