Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said "the border is complicated, as far as building a physical wall." | Getty Interior secretary Zinke says Mexico border wall might not fully be a ‘physical wall’

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall may not completely be a “physical wall.”

“The border is complicated, as far as building a physical wall,” Zinke said during an appearance at the Public Land Council’s Legislative Conference, as reported by E&E News.


For example, Zinke said, electronic devices could be more useful than a physical wall in some areas. He added that the physical features of some areas make the border difficult to cross and make a wall unnecessary.

Zinke also said the Rio Grande River poses a challenge in construction of the wall.

“The Rio Grande, what side of the river are you going to put the wall?” he said. “We’re not going to put it on our side and cede the river to Mexico. And we’re probably not going to put it in the middle of the river.”

Although Trump consistently said during his campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has made it clear Mexico will not pay.

Trump requested $1.5 billion in funding from Congress this year to start construction of the wall, but it’s unclear if he will receive it. Democratic leaders are vowing to block any legislation that includes money for the wall, and Republicans want to avoid a government shutdown over the funding.