San Diego Border Patrol agent Tekae Michael at the western end of the U.S.–Mexico border barrier in San Diego, Calif., on July 12, 2018. The "PV-1" barrier is designed to stop both pedestrians and vehicles from illegally crossing the border. (Joshua Philipp/The Epoch Times)

Reports: Border Wall Construction Underway in San Diego, California

Construction has started on the fifth border wall section under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to news reports on Feb. 20.

The construction project replaces 14 miles of the barrier near San Diego, California.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection told The Associated Press on Feb. 19 that wall panels are in place to replace a steel-mesh fence. The fencing will be replaced with steel bollards (a sturdy vertical post) up to 30 feet high.

Construction firm SLSCO Ltd. of Texas was given the $101 million contract in December 2018.

AP noted it is the second layer of the barrier in San Diego, and the first layer is nearly complete.

The construction started a few days after President Trump declared a national emergency over border security that will allow for funds to build a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Several states have filed lawsuits over Trump’s declaration in the aftermath.

In several tweets, Trump criticized California’s role in the lawsuit against the declaration.

As I predicted, 16 states, led mostly by Open Border Democrats and the Radical Left, have filed a lawsuit in, of course, the 9th Circuit! California, the state that has wasted billions of dollars on their out of control Fast Train, with no hope of completion, seems in charge! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2019

“As I predicted, 16 states, led mostly by Open Border Democrats and the Radical Left, have filed a lawsuit in, of course, the 9th Circuit!” he wrote before turning his crosshairs on the Golden State.

“California, the state that has wasted billions of dollars on their out of control Fast Train, with no hope of completion, seems in charge!” he wrote.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom scaled back the train project, which ran into financial constraints because of the cost. “The current project as planned will cost too much, will take too long, there has been too little oversight, and not enough transparency,” the Democratic governor said, prompting Trump to demand that the state give the federal government $3.5 billion in funds for the project.

The failed Fast Train project in California, where the cost overruns are becoming world record setting, is hundreds of times more expensive than the desperately needed Wall! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2019

On Feb. 20, Trump said the state is now trying to “scale back their already failed” train proposal so it “no longer goes from” Los Angeles to San Francisco.

“A different deal and record cost overruns. Send the Federal Government back the Billions of Dollars WASTED!” he added.

Congress only included about $1.3 billion for the wall that prompted Trump to make the emergency declaration on Feb. 15, which would free up about $8 billion for construction of the project.

Trump, in a press conference announcing the emergency, cited gang members, drugs, and illegal aliens streaming across the border as the reasons for the emergency declaration.

“We’re going to confront the national security crisis on our southern border and we’re going to do it one way or the other. We have to do it,” Trump said at the White House last week. “We have tremendous amounts of drugs flowing into our country, much of it coming from the southern border.”

The president also predicted that lawsuits would be filed in the immediate aftermath.