The fence along the U.S.-Mexico was breached over 9,200 times between 2010 and 2015, according to a report from The U.S. Government Accountability Office.
The GAO released the report Thursday, citing U.S. Customs and Border Protection records, though it does not conclude that the fence is ineffective, just that the CBP has yet to accurately measure its effectiveness in closing illegal border crossing.
"As a result of CBP's tactical infrastructure and technology investments between the ports of entry, the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) can detect and interdict illegal activity, monitor evolving threat patterns, and strategically deploy assets," a CBP spokesman told CNN.
President Donald Trump campaigned on the promise for a border wall. CNN reports that Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly is expected to present a proposal for the wall to Trump, after weighing different options.
CNN sources in talks with DHS claim the agency will likely recommend additional fencing instead of a solid concrete structure across the entire length of the border.
One senior official with the U.S. Border Patrol said he wasn't "calling it a wall because we are talking about a fence that we can look through. That's what we need."
Another said, "I think fencing has worked for us in the past, but you never want to have a barrier in place that will obstruct your vision, that prevents you from seeing the other side of the border."
However, Trump has stated that he will build a wall "made of hardened concrete . . . rebar, and steel," at a rally in December last year, and said "it's not a fence. It's a wall," at a news conference last month, according to CNN.
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