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Executive Order 13767, titled Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements, is an executive order issued by United States President Donald Trump on January 25, 2017. The order directs a wall to be built along the Mexico–United States border.

Provisions
In the order, "Southern Border" is defined as the contiguous land border between the United States and Mexico, inclusive of all entry points. The orders directs "executive departments and agencies to deploy all lawful means to secure the United States' southern border, to prevent further illegal immigration into the United States, and to repatriate illegal aliens swiftly, consistently, and humanely" and directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to "secure the southern Border of the United States of America" using Border Patrol agents and the Attorney General to take measures for prosecution guidelines, for prosecution of illegal immigration or other offenses in connection with the southern border.

Funding
The executive order states that a construction of a physical wall "or other similarly secure, contiguous, and impassable physical barrier" on the southern border of the United States must immediately be constructed, and that it be monitored by "adequate personnel" to prevent illegal immigration, drug trafficking and human trafficking, and acts of terrorism. The order did not estimate a cost for the wall project. An internal report by the Department of Homeland Security acquired by Reuters in February 2017 estimated that Trump's proposed border wall would take an estimated 3.5 years to build and cost $21.6 billion, an amount equivalent to budget expenditures on illegal immigrants in California in one year.

Congress has not appropriated funds for either the wall or the 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents called for by Trump's order. In the United States, setting the federal budget and appropriating funds is the role of Congress, not the executive branch, and the Antideficiency Act bars the government from expended funds without a congressional appropriation. Thus, despite the executive order's call for "immediate" construction of a border wall, the impact of the order is limited, although the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could engage in initial planning.

Trump has repeatedly vowed that Mexico will pay for the construction of a border wall, but has never explained how the U.S. government would compel Mexico to do so. Trump stated that "there will be a payment; it will be in a form, perhaps a complicated form." The Mexican government has rejected Trump's statements and has declined that Mexico will fund the construction of the wall. Upon signing the order, the Trump administration also suggested that wall construction could be funded by a 20% tariff on Mexico imports, a proposal which immediately encountered objections from members of Congress of both parties. After the negative response, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus indicated that the administration was considering "a buffet of options" for funding a wall.

U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Austin, Texas, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives would seek to pass a special supplemental (emergency) appropriations bill to spend money on initial construction of the wall, a demand of the Trump administration. Such a supplemental spending bill is supported by House Speaker Paul Ryan. However, Democrats have expressed confidence that they can block an appropriations bill for wall construction, with the aid of some Republicans who also oppose the construction of a wall due to its enormous cost.

Construction
On January 25th of 2017, President Donald Trump stated that "the wall is getting designed right now." By February of 2017, the United States Customs and Border Protection agency announced that it would start accepting proposals due by March 24th for the construction of the United States-Mexico Border Wall. In April of 2017, various proposed designs were released to the public. These designs included many methods of creating a border wall with many different ideas including the infusion of solar panels, artwork, ballistics resistance, sensors for above ground and below ground penetration, and even the creation of a "co-nation" where the border is maintained by both countries in an open status.

Impact on Mexico–U.S. relations
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto addressed Mexican citizens via a recorded message, in which he condemned Trump's executive order and again said that Mexico would not pay for the wall's construction. Following a Twitter feud between the two men (in which Trump threatened to cancel a planned meeting with Nieto in Washington), Nieto decided to cancel the meeting himself.

Addressing supporters, the Mexican opposition leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador condemned the wall order as an insult to Mexico, and demanded the Mexican government to pursue claims in the United Nations against the Trump administration.

Environmental impacts
The construction of a border wall as envisioned in the order, could cause significant environmental damage, including habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation that would harm wildlife. Wall construction would also cause increased greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change, due to the concrete manufacturing that would be required.

Experts' response
Experts "have voiced doubts about whether a wall would actually stem illegal immigration, or if it is worth the billions it is expected to cost." Critics have noted that the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. had declined for several years before the order was signed, in part because of the Great Recession.

Gil Kerlikowske, the former Commissioner of the Customs and Border Protection, stated that the rugged terrain in the Arizona desert is one of many natural obstacles in the construction of the wall. Kerlikowske also said that the border currently has 700 miles of fencing, and that the border is patrolled by agents by various means, including motorcycles, ATVs and drones. He stated that the current method at the time was more preferable than a wall.

After the executive order was signed, Jason Marczak of the Atlantic Council wrote: "Today's events are dangerous for the immediate and long-term security and economy of the United States. U.S.-Mexico cooperation is far-reaching: from intelligence sharing for the capture of drug traffickers to the flow of commercial goods that support the livelihoods of nearly 5 million American workers."

Ron Johnson, a senator from Wisconsin, stated in an interview with CNN that border walls are effective in curbing illegal immigration citing Israel's 99% success rate after the construction of their border wall on the West Bank in 2003. His official statement details that Israel "had a real problem with illegal immigrants coming in from the southern border, about 16,000 in one year. In two years, they constructed 143-mile fence, about $2.9 million per mile, and it cut that illegal immigration rate from about 16,000 to I think 18." Politifact, after checking these numbers verified that they were accurate.

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in February of 2017 found that 62% of the 1,503 individuals surveyed were found to be opposed to the construction of a United States-Mexico Border Wall. This survey consisted of 581 Republicans and 797 Democrats. 43% of respondents thought that a border wall would have little to no effect on illegal immigration.

In a separate study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 61% of 4,138 surveyed individuals identified that the construction of a border wall on the United States-Mexico Border was unimportant and would rather allocate resources towards the ongoing effort to deport illegal immigrants. Further detailed results of this survey showed that responding Republicans favored building a border wall with Mexico by a total of 67% whereas Democrats who responded favorably only amounted to 16% of total responders.

Domestic Responses
Executive Order 13767, along with another executive order signed by Trump on the same day, drew "furious condemnation" from civil rights organizations and immigrant advocacy groups, who described the orders as "meanspirited, counterproductive and costly and said the new policies would raise constitutional concerns while undermining the American tradition of welcoming people from around the world." Religious leaders were also largely critical of the border-wall proposal. Hundreds of citizens gathered at Washington Square Park in New York City to protest the executive order.

In Congress, some Republicans praised Trump's executive order, such as U.S. Representative Lamar S. Smith of San Antonio, who said that "he appreciated Trump 'honoring his commitment' on immigration." Other members of Congress from congressional districts along or close to the Mexican Border were critical, such as U.S. Representatives Will Hurd, Henry Cuellar, and Joaquin Castro. Hurd criticized the order as "the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border" while Castro stated that the wall "a lazy and ineffective strategy" and said: "[Trump] is driving Mexico into China's arms. I expect that whatever President Trump away Mexico, China will step in to offer."

According to an ongoing online poll originating from ISideWith.com, a total of 62% of respondents answered positively towards the construction of some manner of a United States-Mexico Border Wall, totaling at over 270,000 positive responses. According to the displayed detailed results, Republicans overwhelmingly favor a border wall by 88% as of April 2017 and Democrats overwhelmingly oppose a border wall by 86% as of April 2017.

International Responses
Following the release of the signed executive order, various international bodies responded with their own criticisms.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, praised President Donald J. Trump's executive order and in a public statement reaffirmed the success behind border walls: "I built a wall along Israel's southern border. It stopped all illegal immigration. Great Success. Great idea." Officials from Mexico in response voiced their displeasure with what was regarded as Israel supporting the construction of a United States-Mexico Border Wall citing deep feelings of disappointment. Hours after Netanyahu gave his response, it was stated in a public release that "the prime minister was addressing Israel's unique circumstances and the important experience we have and which we are willing to share with other nations. There was no attempt to voice an opinion regarding U.S.-Mexico ties."

Mexican congressman Braulio Guerra in March of 2017 climbed an existing United States-Mexico Border Wall between San Diego and Tijuana in an attempt to draw attention to the "absurd and unnecessary expense of this project that offense and damages our neighborliness." Guerra did not cross the border between the United States and Mexico at any point during this display.