Border fence problems

last updated 8 January 2015

The 600-mile-long fence being built along the U.S.-Mexico border is seven years behind schedule, millions of dollars over budget, and will cost taxpayers $6.5 billion to maintain during the next 20 years, government auditors report. The Government Accountability Office also noted that the infrared cameras used in the virtual part of the fence fail repeatedly, especially in sandstorms or bad weather.

The fence was supposed to be completed this year, but won’t be finished until 2016. The GAO said there have been more than 3,000 breaches in completed portions of the fence, which cost about $1,300 each to repair. Border crossers have learned to cut through the fence with tools, climb over it with ladders, or use vehicles to smash through it.