Officials tout border wall construction progress

Federal officials recently joined Yuma, Ariz., city and county leaders in touting border wall construction progress, noting completion of the first 100 miles of the system along the southwest border.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf recently joined by Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ), Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls, Border Patrol Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony Porvaznik and Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot to announce they deemed a landmark achievement.

“New wall has been constructed in every border state from California to Texas,” Wolf said. “This is a milestone for our entire country, and this would not have been possible without the President’s steadfast determination and leadership. The new border wall system is an undeniable impediment to human smugglers, drug traffickers, and other criminals who have exploited our lack of effective border infrastructure to smuggle drugs, people, and illegal contraband into our country. The President listened to his operators on the front lines and is fulfilling his promise to secure the border.”

The scope of work within the Yuma Sector is part of a high-tech system combining a physical barrier with technology and real-time surveillance. The new wall construction is combined with all-weather roads, lighting, enforcement cameras, and other related enforcement technology to help Customs and Border Protection continue to secure the southern border.

“Arizonans live every day with the challenges and opportunities that come with being a border state,” McSally said. “Yuma has been an example of how a border wall system makes a difference—along with dedicated agents, intelligence driven operations, roads, and technology. These additional barriers and a new port of entry will improve security and the economy for our community, state, and country.”