Trump's border wall lurches closer to schedule

Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott informed Congress that the U.S. has built approximately 50 miles of primary border wall, 5.5 miles of buoy barriers, and 13.2 miles of secondary barriers. Scott stated the $46 billion project is now "ahead of schedule and we're below budget," despite previous contracting issues and community resistance. This progress averages about 3.5 miles constructed per week since early-February, falling short of the anticipated 10 miles per week. The project faced delays due to a major cash infusion from Congress not arriving until last summer and additional reviews implemented by then-Secretary Kristi Noem. Scott will travel to the border for five days of meetings, where local residents and elected officials, like Rep. Henry Cuellar (R-Texas), remain skeptical about the wall's impact on communities and public lands.