House and Senate negotiators have settled on a border wall deal “in principle” that would provide funding for a wall along the U. S.-Mexico border, but much less than the amount originally demanded by President Trump.
SALT LAKE CITY — With another potential government shutdown looming, 17 House and Senate members settled on a border wall deal “in principle” on Monday night — one that would provide funding for a wall along the U. S.-Mexico border, but much less than the amount originally demanded by President Donald Trump.
The deal is “in principle” because it has not yet been finalized or approved.
The deal must pass both the House and the Senate and receive Trump’s signature by Friday night in order to avert a second government shutdown three weeks after the longest government shutdown in U. S. history.
According to The New York Times, lawmakers expect to put the finishing touches on the deal as early as Tuesday.
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about the proposed border wall deal.
The bulk of the proposed deal represents a compromise on two fronts: a border wall and detention facilities.
First, it would allocate $1.375 billion for 55 miles of fencing along the U. S.-Mexico border. Although this is a far cry from the $5.7 billion the president was seeking to construct 200 miles of barrier, it represents a significant compromise on the part of Democrats, who originally refused to allocate any funds at all for a wall, according to the Times.
Trump had also requested that the wall be made of steel and concrete, but the proposed deal calls for bollard fencing, the Times reported. A bollard is a short, thick post, such as those installed on sidewalks to prevent cars from hitting pedestrians, according to Reliance Foundry. It’s unclear how tall the posts would be if implemented on the border.
A particularly contentious part of the deal, however, revolved around detention of illegal immigrants.
On Sunday, negotiations stalled when Democrats called for a limit on how much space in detention facilities could be used to detain illegal immigrants arrested within the United States, USA Today reported. Currently, federal law enforcement agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement oversees around 49,000 detention beds for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers.
