“Build that wall! Build that wall!” This now famous and controversial phrase was and is chanted by the millions of President Donald Trump supporters who attend his rallies. Then-candidate Trump made it one of his priorities to discuss the construction of a border wall on the southern border between the United States and Mexico.

This promise has brought much divide in Washington, which led to the longest government shutdown in the history of this country. Trump has now reopened the government until Feb. 15, giving Congress the time to put together a bill that gives him his long anticipated barrier.

According to the International Boundary and Water Commission and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the border extends about 1,900 miles. Of that, approximately 654 miles of walls and fencing are currently separating the two countries. It’s important to note a greater portion of these are built to stop vehicles, not people.

In his most recent proposal, Trump requested $5.7 billion to be allocated to building a wall with the intent of stopping pedestrian and vehicle traffic illegally crossing, granting extensions to Temporary Protection Status (TPS) recipients, and providing legal status for some 800,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Madam Speaker of the House, Representative Nancy Pelosi has claimed there will be no bill that funds “Trump’s immoral wall.”

Having a border wall is a relatively recent contentious topic. Democratic leaders and long-standing legislators like Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Ron Wyden, Debbie Stabenow and Sherrod Brown all have, at some point, supported bills in the past that provided for the construction of a border fence and wall.  

A wall on the southern border will be beneficial for this country in significantly hindering the illegal flow of people, drugs and crimes such as prostitution, sex trafficking and murder.

The reasoning for this is simple: having a barrier such as a wall will force people to go through a single port of entry. This would allow the officers to process and evaluate each individual, family or vehicle in an effective and efficient fashion. 

If they tried to come over the wall, the time it would take to get a ladder and come over would be more than sufficient to allow the officers to respond to the situation. Said best by the Chief of the United States Border Patrol, “We certainly do need a wall. Talk to any border agent and they will tell you that.” 

To claim that a border wall is “immoral” is hypocritical for anyone who owns or uses a door, lock and key. The principle is the same: the protection and preservation of valuable things.

When a border wall is going to protect American interests and safety, how is it immoral? A barrier on the southern border only promotes safety for Americans and allows for those entrusted with protecting the border to do their job more efficiently.