this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/31570120

Four years after Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas would be the first state to build its own border wall, lawmakers have quietly stopped funding the project, leaving only scattered segments covering a small fraction of the border.

That decision, made in the waning hours of this year’s legislative session, leaves the future of the state wall unclear. Just 8% of the 805 miles the state identified for construction is complete, which has cost taxpayers more than $3 billion to date. The Texas Tribune reported last year that the wall is full of gaps that migrants and smugglers can easily walk around and mostly concentrated on sprawling ranches in rural areas, where illegal border crossings are less likely to occur.

State leaders suggested the federal government could pick up the effort. However, during President Donald Trump’s first term, when wall building was his top priority, his administration completed just 21 miles in Texas — about a third of what the state was able to build over the past four years.

The Tribune reported last year that the state’s wall program would take around 30 years and more than $20 billion to complete.

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[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

But it was so important?

Billions of rapists and hyper-violent drugged out gang members are flooding over the border every second.

Does Texas not care about protecting their people? The country?

Or.. was it all absolute fucking bullshit designed to funnel a few million dollars to one of Abbotts cohorts?

[–] Starb3an@lemmynsfw.com 4 points 3 hours ago

Next time I need scrap metal for a project, I know where to go.

[–] RIPandTERROR@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 hours ago
[–] LeninOnAPrayer@lemm.ee 19 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

I mean, no shit. The goal was never the actual wall. The goal was what the wall represented. To be able to arrest, oppress, and "remove" any brown person they wanted.

We're already at the Home Depot parking lot arrest and we're not even 6 months in. If liberals keeps talking about the wall as if it's a hypocrisy that will sway Trump supporters they'll lose that battle.

It was never about a wall. It was about bringing fascism to America. And that wall is taller than anything Texas could ever build.

Please stop thinking you'll fight fascism with liberal "gotchas" of hypocrisy. That's far behind us. If you're not on the streets with a sign then at least just keep your focus in the right place.

Focus on the HARM that is being done. Not some fake promise of a wall that no one ever cared about beyond the aesthetics and it's symbolism.

Tell your parents about the nice guy are home depot that helped you move your couch. That got taken by ICE for just trying to make a living. These personal stories resonate with that generation.

But no one cares about a dumb ass wall. MAGA never did. And if you think they did you missed the the point and the appeal of Trump entirely.

[–] nthavoc@lemmy.today 24 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

So what happened to the $77 billion left to build the wall? Oh, they griffed it. Just like everything the Donvict makes, it goes to shit and he runs off with the money. Suddenly there's no more immigrant crisis on the Texas border. Clearly it wasn't the fucking wall that stopped it. Also, all that imminent domain claimed on farmers and habitat owners also just had their land completely stolen not for "imminent domain" purposes.

His next term is in 2026. That's right, he's going for a 20 year tenure. There is not a limit on how many times you can be a Texas governor.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

He's too popular. Precisely because he brought $77B into the state to line his friends' pockets.

Who is going to run against Abbott that isn't just a more Fash version of him? Any Democrat that runs will campaign on "Actually I always supported the wall and I'm upset he didn't build it fast enough". Any Republican in the primaries will complain that Abbott is too nice to Jews.

And then every newspaper and TV channel in the state will endorse him, because that's what their sponsors told them to do. The state will split 46/54, with a weird 40,000 vote undercount in Harris County and six counties in the Panhandle voting GOP to a man. And he'll be in for another four years while the Green Party gets blamed for another liberal defeat.

[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Any Democrat that runs will campaign on "Actually I always supported the wall and I'm upset he didn't build it fast enough".

Maybe they should try not being an idiot.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

Sorry, I hired a political consultant at $12,000/hr and he told me voters will only support idiots.

Besides, we need to do something as a party to distance ourselves from Muslims, Women, PoC, and the LGBTQ community. They're holding us back and scaring off all the white male social media millionaires!

[–] nthavoc@lemmy.today 1 points 5 minutes ago

I see your argument, but having an opposing candidate that can read the room may significantly increase chances of victory. Of course, victory is a very fleeting concept for democrats.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 22 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

No need for it now. America is so shit nobody wants to go there.

Be Mexico building the wall soon to keep Texans out.

[–] dzsimbo@lemm.ee 14 points 22 hours ago

Mexico building the wall soon

So Trump is keeping promises?

[–] newthrowaway20@lemmy.world 180 points 1 day ago (6 children)

So some company got 3 billion richer by scamming the Texas government for a contract they knew would never be completed.

[–] BossDj@lemm.ee 98 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Nah, government wasn't scammed. They got to rant, rave, and photo op. They made it a big deal, hyped their base, and got reelected. Their base already thinks the border wall is built. Or that it's Bidens fault that it isn't.

Some of those politicians may have made solid connections for their cozy retirement on some executive board

[–] My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago

Sounds like an excellent ROI for everyone except the voters who wanted this product in the first place and the voters who didn't want it at all. But hey, it's quite a sight to see corrupt capitalism working...for itself.

[–] LeninOnAPrayer@lemm.ee 0 points 11 hours ago

They never cared about a physical wall. They only fell for the aesthetics of stability that fascism promised them. That's why no story like this will ever sway a MAGA. This story is for liberals to point to and talk about at brunch with other libs.

Something to make them feel like their winning in the "marketplace of ideas".

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[–] redsand@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 22 hours ago

Probably a close personal friend or family of Paxton or Abbott

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[–] Bonus@slrpnk.net 6 points 17 hours ago

4 years for $3 Billion but 30 years for only $20 Billion. Sure, guys.

[–] CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 20 points 22 hours ago

Utter failure, that is the legacy of the Republican party

[–] _stranger_@lemmy.world 42 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

For context, the texas-Mexico border is 1254 miles long. Even the projected 805 miles never made sense (not that any of it makes sense).

It's the most heavily crossed border in the world with dozens of controlled ports of entry and hundreds of millions of documented crossings a year.

The scattered 60ish miles they completed isn't even laughable, it's entirely a non starter, and this debacle would easily sink a governor in almost any other state.

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It shouldn't need funding, Mexico was supposed to pay for it.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 1 day ago

The cognitive disonnence is staggering.

[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 4 points 21 hours ago

Maybe they meant like Mexico NY? Or New Mexico? Maybe he said Texaco?

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 10 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

How many college educations could have been fully funded for $3 billion? How many elementary schools built? How many other worthwhile problems could have been solved, rather than building a bunch of worthless crumbling garbage out in the desert?

[–] CPMSP@midwest.social 7 points 18 hours ago

Yeah, but that would be, like, helping people man.

Bootstraps motherfuckers!

[–] Daft_ish@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 20 hours ago

That was so 2016. We are all about full on fascism now.

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 82 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i'll never forget all the inbred bumpkin morons who were 100% convinced that "mexico's gonna pay for it"

[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 49 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And now those same bumpkins are saying originating countries "are gonna pay for the tariffs".

[–] CalipherJones@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Haitians eating cats and dogs really lowered the bar for conservatives. Like it was low, and then that dropped and there were no more excuses for them in my mind.

[–] thehowlingnorth@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago

I remember thinking Bowling Green was pretty low, but they just kept digging.

[–] Wilco@lemm.ee 18 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So stupid. They will just tunnel under a wall. Also walls do not block planes, which is where 90% of illegals come in. They buy a plane ticket, get here, and then just stay.

[–] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 20 hours ago

I mean, ladders exist too. What a bunch of idiots. Americans are drooling stupid.

[–] PunkRockSportsFan@fanaticus.social 54 points 1 day ago (6 children)

American Nazis are destined for failure.

The faster they fail and we hold them accountable for their crimes the fewer crimes they are able to commit.

Don’t lose hope. We’ll see most of these assholes swinging in the breeze.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I just hope that midterms cause a huge shift in Congress, and the next "leader" has the balls to have a Nuremberg trials like situation to hold the current admin accountable. I want heads to literally and figuratively roll.

[–] PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I am a bit concerned about more election manipulation. The recent story on the 2024 elections and that there might've been some fuckery that is a bit more deeply advanced and nuanced than we've seen before has me worried. I have mad respect for the Russian apparatus' technical abilities even though they are awful people. Despite hating what they are doing, they push the envelope of what (bad) hacking can do. Traitors in the admin are doing what they can to assist so they have help.

For reference: https://apnews.com/press-release/access-newswire/diane-sare-kamala-harris-kamala-harris-es-kirsten-gillibrand-new-hampshire-225173eaaf66b420844508516b365caf

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[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I like yours too man, you got the whole cowboy thing going on

[–] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 20 hours ago

Destruction is the point. It's a success.

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[–] BingoBongoBang@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You need a parade with “job well done” posters

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 9 points 23 hours ago (1 children)
[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

"Promises made, promises kept" is an actual thing they like to say to each other, LOL.

I'm sure the dim bulbs will tell each other this kind of thing even as donvict tHe pEaCe pReSiDeNt leads us into a war with Iran just because Israel tells him to...

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[–] Bosht@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That picture is fuckin hilarious if that's literally as far as it got. It's a perfect monument to the failure. Slap a plaque on it.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 25 points 1 day ago (4 children)

It's a failure, yes, but they did complete 65 miles of fence. Just not all in one spot.

They basically built some free fences for a few ranchers who took advantage of the opportunity.

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they should put a "Mission Accomplished" sign on it.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

Well at least they destroyed another big swath of the environment.

[–] Drewmeister@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

Is the "Mission Accomplished" banner from Bush's tenure still available?

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 3 points 21 hours ago

Unfortunate. The metal materials of that wall was an excellent donation program to local businesses.

/s...? 🤔

[–] RacerX@lemmy.zip 3 points 21 hours ago

Good news for Mexico. I heard they were going to get quite a bill for that wall.

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 4 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

So now the Oklahomans are free to invade?

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 5 points 22 hours ago

I'd say that this is the good ending but not even the Texans deserve to be subject to Oklahomans.

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