Donna, Texas — Nearly three years after President Trump took office, work is finally underway on one of his key campaign promises. CBS News was able to get access to the locations where new border wall is being constructed along the 2,000-mile-long southern border.

In rural south Texas, construction crews are pushing to finish an 8-mile stretch of border wall in the town of Donna. The total cost is about $167 million.



West of Donna, CBS News saw a second 3-mile stretch of wall that is also being built. Nearly $10 billion has been diverted from government agencies for wall funding. That's a bill U.S. taxpayers, not Mexico, are footing.



Border Patrol Sector Chief Rodolfo Karisch said it's just a start. "We're looking at about 80 to 90 miles over the next year to year and a half," he said. But it won't all be connected.

Portions of border wall are under construction in Texas. CBS News

At least 78 miles of existing wall has been replaced along the southern border since 2017. Mr. Trump has called these refurbished walls unclimbable. But a video posted on social media shows two men scaling a replaced portion of the wall in California.



Rey Cavazos' family has owned land along the border for generations and are worried the government will build a wall through their property.



"We feel attachment to the land, you know? Our parents did too," Cavazos said.



He said his parents would say things like "leave it to God," but he said they don't think like that.



"We think that no, we're not gonna leave it to God. These people are abusing us," Cavazos said.



The Cavazos are worried their heritage and history an inevitable casualty of new construction.