President Trump to visit border construction in Yuma

YUMA, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - President Trump will touch down in Arizona on Tuesday morning, June 23, his second trip to the state during the coronavirus pandemic. This two-part trip includes a campaign rally in Phoenix after the visit to the border near Yuma.

Air Force One is expected to land at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma just before 11 a.m. The president will have a busy couple of hours on the ground.

He’ll first head to a briefing from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the progress of construction at the border with Mexico. The president is expected to survey construction and mark the completion of the 200th mile of wall along the U.S./Mexico border.

The White House says President Trump will also meet with elected leaders in Yuma to discuss border security. He is also expected to thank border patrol and law enforcement for their efforts.

President Trump will be joined by Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli and Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan.

The president’s visit to Arizona in the middle of a global pandemic shows just how important Arizona is to the 2020 election. Arizona is a battleground state and border issues including immigration will be major issues in the fall.

One of the president’s campaign promises in 2016 was building a “wall” along the southern border. Nearly four years later, here’s where things stand:

A representative of CBP Yuma Sector says more than 61 miles of new barrier has been completed in the Yuma sector. Yuma currently has more than 100 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barrier. CBP says another 109 miles of border wall system is slated to be completed in total.

Of the 137 miles of border wall construction slated for the Tucson Sector, 44 miles are complete, with 93 miles still under construction.

It’s important to note not all new construction is the 30-foot Bollard fencing. CBP says some of the new fencing will vary in height depending on the operational needs in a certain area. Much of the completed construction is replacement fencing in areas that already had a barrier. KOLD News 13 asked CBP how much of it was completely new border in areas that did not have any and the answer was not immediately available.