'Walls Work,' Department of Homeland Security declares in post instantly mocked on social media
"Walls Work," reads the title of a press release posted on the Department of Homeland Security's website Wednesday, which makes dubious claims about the progress of construction for President Donald Trump's promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
"DHS is committed to building wall and building wall quickly," reads the release, which eschews the use of articles in many instances. "We are not replacing short, outdated and ineffective wall with similar wall. Instead, under this President we are building a wall that is 30-feet high."
"FACT: Prior to President Trump taking office, we have never built wall that high," the message adds. The government has built higher walls, but the statement presumably meant to specify it was referring to a border wall.
The DHS message boasts that as of Nov. 21, 31 miles of "steel bollard wall" has been constructed. The border is about 1,900 miles long.
THE WALL: How long is the U.S.-Mexico border?
The bollards are hollow, spaced out metal posts and do not match the wall described by Trump during the campaign. In March, Trump reviewed prototypes for the wall, but nothing resembling those has been constructed.
Is Trump's border wall being built?: Here are the facts
A debate over the effectiveness of border walls intensified after Trump promised during the 2016 presidential campaign that Mexico would fund the construction of one along the southern U.S. border.
That debate has grown even more intense since Trump threatened a government shutdown if he does not get at least $5 billion for the construction of a border wall. The wall's funding was the focus of the fiery Oval Office exchange between Trump and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Tuesday.
Fact check: The Trump-Pelosi-Schumer scuffle in the Oval Office
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and other conservatives have taken up the "walls work" mantra.
Walls work. These facts don’t lie:
Israel—illegal immigration down 99%
San Diego—down 92%
El Paso—down 95%
Tucson—down 90%
Yuma—down 95%
Let’s build the border security wall. #DoWhatWeSaid— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) December 12, 2018
Have you heard the nutty Democrat leaders saying “the experts say walls don’t work.” What expert ever said that?? The border patrol says they work. Do you know any prison that ever said “these walls aren’t working, let’s take them down.”
— MARK SIMONE (@MarkSimoneNY) December 13, 2018
Social media users were quick to mock the simplistic language of DHS' press release and question some of the statement's facts.
Congrats to the new DHS spokesperson pic.twitter.com/qnhG5r1O6A
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) December 13, 2018
who at DHS hates using the words “an” “a” and “the” in their copy pic.twitter.com/RCADR5riVR
— maya kosoff (@mekosoff) December 13, 2018
DHS love lamp https://t.co/QRtVrZG2v8
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) December 13, 2018
His first day in the DHS press office, and I gotta say, I think Elmo is absolutely crushing it pic.twitter.com/tkqipzCJc5
— Gabriel Aherne (@aherneg) December 13, 2018
Congratulations to Captain Caveman on his new job writing DHS press releases. He write good! pic.twitter.com/XPE3KBmit8
— David Abrams (@CheapyD) December 13, 2018
“DHS committed to building wall and building wall quickly.” pic.twitter.com/FilnMr4c3T
— Glen Weldon (@ghweldon) December 13, 2018
We DHS. We build wall. Big wall!
Was this written by Gedde Watanabe's character in "Sixteen Candles?" pic.twitter.com/6YbkYLwAsT— Gary Legum (@GaryLegum) December 13, 2018
did... did a wall write this? pic.twitter.com/wODbt45X52
— Benjamin Dreyer (@BCDreyer) December 13, 2018
#wallswork. Just listen to Wall explain why Wall good at job! So much build high helps all of we.
— nick childs (@NickChilds) December 13, 2018
THE WALL IS ONE MILE HIGH AND 100 FEET THICK. IT IS MADE OF PURE STEEL. THE KING OF MEXICO GAVE ME GOLD BULLION TO PAY FOR IT. THERE IS NO NEED TO CHECK THESE EXTREMELY TRUE FACTS.
— Julian Sanchez (@normative) December 13, 2018
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Walls Work,' Department of Homeland Security declares in post instantly mocked on social media
