- As promised, PresidentBiden has stopped construction

of the U.S. border wall with Mexico,

Donald Trump's signature project.

- [Border Patrol] Don't(indistinct) in the high fence.

(people chattering)

- [Tara] All along theTexas-Mexico border.

- We're going to build the wall.

- [Tara] A scene frozen in time.

- The Biden Administrationchose to do nothing.

- [Tara] Once, busy work sites.

- Government contracted crews

are set to break ground in the spring.

- [Man] Build that wall, build that wall,

build that wall!

- It was good for the economy,

it was good for the Valley,it was good for the people.

- [Tara] Sit silent.

Gaping holes, thehallmark of a border wall.

- People are going tocome into our country,

but they're going to comeinto our country legally.

- [Tara] Gone bust.

- There will not be another foot of wall

constructed on my administration.

(dramatic music)

- [Tara] With the strokeof a pen, President Biden,

bringing an abrupt end toDonald Trump's four-year fight

to finish this wall.

(dramatic music)

While the wall is mostly outof the national spotlight,

the issue remains hot inthe Rio Grande Valley,

the busiest spot for illegalimmigration in the country.

(wind blowing)

(cars whizzing)

- [Sergio] It's 7:29, News Talk 710, KURV.

- Wall or no wall?- But in my audience,

the KURV audience,

which is generally business-minded,

they're businessmanagers, business owners,

and just hard-workin' people,

overwhelmingly, overwhelmingthis audience, absolutely,

they, they'd say yes to the wall.

- [Tara] During the Trump administration,

the U.S. Government paved the way

for hundreds of additionalsections of wall to be built

along the 2,000-mile border.

Biden ditched the projecthis first day in office.

- They're not worried abouthow it's hurting us here.

- [Tara] A delight to Democrats.

- The wall is an immorality.

- [Tara] And environmentalists.

- [Woman] For every mile of border wall

that they are building,

they are clearing 20 acres of habitat.

- [Tara] But a blow

to outnumbered agents and officers

tasked with slowing the flow of drugs.

- Without that infrastructure,

without that barrier there,

the cartels are freeto cross their products

anywhere that they want.

- And criminals, increasinglyable to bypass them

and get deeper into the country.

Human smuggling arrestsare now skyrocketing

here in the Rio Grande Valley.

In Hidalgo County alone, theyare now making several a day.

- The number's is just going up.

They'll go down for a week,

they'll come right back up the next week.

I don't see an end in sight.

- [Tara] Behind the scenes, astruggle of a different kind.

- We have one of thehighest poverty rates.

It's really just very disappointing.

- Sections of the wall, like this one,

can be spotted all overthe Rio Grande Valley now.

When the Biden administration

stopped construction of the wall,

an estimated 5,000 people lost their jobs.

And what was your reaction?

- Well, I took it a bit hard,

because I was counting on, on that.

I was countin' on that job.

- [Tara] So was GranchelliConstruction, hired.

- The people came downfrom all over the country,

hired local people.

- [Tara] Then fired,when the wall was nixed.

How many people did you have to lay off

after this happened?- 40.

- This is where a sectionof the wall was gonna be.

- Yes, right along the,right along the river here.

Was about a 4.7-mile segment.

- [Tara] But the companyis still on the hook

for the millions it pouredinto a cement plant,

built just for the wall.

Leasing land,

- It's about 35 or 40,000a month we're carrying.

- [Tara] and buying equipment, he says

the federal governmentwon't let him use or sell.

- We're waiting.

They say they're gonna reimburse everyone,

but it hasn't happened yet.

- At this site, there areexactly 1,087 steel panels

that would have been enoughfor two miles of border wall.

This dried up paint can and some cobwebs,

reminders of what might've been.

(bold music)

- It's just a bad deal.

I laid off 32 employees.

- [Tara] A.J. Steel LLC,who made these panels,

also remains in limbo.

How much money did youlose when this stopped?

- I'm at right now, alittle bit over $300,000.

- [Tara] As bills pile up.

- I sent a certified letterlast week, demanding payment.

- From the contractor.- From the contractor.

And he basically told me,

he said, I ain't got the money to pay you.

- And you're, you're stuck.- Yes.

Now the owners off of this property

are asking me for $20,000 a month,

until all this material'smoved out of here.

End of the day, if Idon't get my money soon,

I'll just take all this and scrap it.

- [Tara] Like Garza and Granchelli,

many South Texas contractors

are hoping Governor Greg Abbott

will make good on his promiseto resume building the wall

where Donald Trump left off.

- Had the border so closed, the best ever.

And now it's coming through at levels

that they've never seen before.

- [Tara] Using 250,000,000 in state money,

and taking donations to fill holes

along the 1,200-milestretch of border here.

- Texas is stepping up, and doing a job

that is truly thefederal government's job.

- [Tara] A plan that doesn'tsit well with everyone.

- Definitely not allow states to enact,

or governs themselves when itcomes to this federal issue,

because it's not their issue.

- Polls show Texans are split

over whether or not tobuild the border wall.

Meanwhile, the country is on track

for 2,000,000 illegal crossings,

like this one, in 2021.

In South Texas, I'mTara Mergener, CBN News.