Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Thursday the first additions to the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border will be constructed in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
Nielsen said the security fencing in the Rio Grande zone will see “major improvements” over the next year because its security has become a priority for the department due to increased illegal immigration there.
“We actually have about 55 miles around this area. It’s noncontiguous,” Nielsen said. “So the 28 miles that we are prioritizing will actually fill in the gaps.”
Nielsen, who was sworn into office this month, said additions will depend on the terrain and other natural barriers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and its sub-agency, the Border Patrol, also rely heavily on ground sensors and security cameras to monitor the un-walled areas.
“People say if you show me a wall I will show you a ladder. Build a bigger wall I will get a bigger ladder. What’s your reaction?” Fox News “Fox and Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade asked Nielsen.
“It’s a system of systems. There is no silver bullet. We gotta have a wall, we’re gonna have a wall. But then you need the technology and sensors and cameras and monitoring to make sure that that wall is effective as it can be,” she said.
