Currently, a wall more than a thousand kilometers long is installed on the US-Mexico border
"I will build a great wall on our southern border — believe me, nobody builds walls better than me, and I will make Mexico pay for it," Donald Trump promised before the election. The 12-meter-high wall is to become the largest construction project the investment magnate has ever undertaken. So far, Trump has mainly built skyscrapers and hotels.
According to Deutsche Welle, the length of the barrier installed on the US-Mexico border currently stands at about 1,100 km: about a third of the total border length. The border runs through four US states and six Mexican states, through deserts and megacities. A small section of the border in New Mexico is left open due to its inaccessibility. In other places, the border is patrolled by border patrol officers.
According to rough estimates, about 350,000 people illegally cross the US border each year, most of whom come from Mexico. Overall, an unenviable fate awaits them. Some are granted a temporary reprieve from deportation, but their family members on the other side of the border cannot obtain a visa, and not everyone can afford the services of illegal smugglers.
According to Trump, the Mexican government forces "the most undesirable individuals" to leave for the United States. "In many cases, they are criminals, drug traffickers, rapists," Trump said during the election campaign. The US president intends to deport illegal migrants, at least criminals. Despite this, many Mexicans have not yet abandoned their plans to go to the United States.
However, the dreams of some Mexicans are not destined to come true: they are caught and sent to prison. In addition, hundreds of people die each year while attempting to illegally cross the border — for example, from hypothermia. American border guards often open fire on Mexican territory: as a result of their actions, at least six Mexican citizens have been killed. The perpetrators have not yet been punished.
In 2008, Time magazine called the barrier complex on the US-Mexico border the "Great American Wall" by analogy with the Great Wall of China.