(NewsNation) – Texas insists a border wall is necessary to stop the influx of migrants, even though projections show it would cost more than $20 billion and take more than 30 years to build.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott made the decision three years ago to use federal funding to build a border wall along the Mexican border as part of his Operation Lone Star security plan. But construction of the wall has been slow and has encountered major challenges in land acquisition and financing, the Texas Tribune reported.

Since the start of its government-funded efforts, only about 55 kilometers of steel bollards worth about $25 million have been distributed along the more than 1,900-kilometer-long stretch of border, the newspaper reported.

According to the outlet, only 4% of the more than 800 miles designated by state authorities as “a place requiring some form of barrier” are covered with steel barriers.

Texas officials aim to build 100 miles by the end of 2026, at a rate of about half a mile per week, but that remains a difficult goal.

According to a report in the Texas Tribune, it was difficult for state authorities to acquire or provide access to the private land required for construction.

According to the broadcaster, under state law, the government is not allowed to exercise expropriation rights to gain access to land.

By mid-June, authorities had secured 79 easements along about 95 kilometers of the border. According to Texas officials, state authorities are still in various stages of negotiations with landowners for an additional 182 kilometers.

Border protection and border security are the responsibility of the federal government, but Abbott has taken on this task himself and accused President Biden of not doing enough to combat migrants crossing the border.

Former President Donald Trump touted the construction of a border wall as essential to curbing immigration, and his administration built more than 450 miles of new border fence in several states, including Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

This project was stopped under Biden.

Many groups oppose the border wall because they believe it is a misguided attempt to solve a larger problem.

“Walls do not achieve the goals they are supposedly built for; they have only a limited impact in containing uprisings and do not block unwanted [migrant] “This does not slow down refugee flows, but rather diverts migrants to other routes,” says a 2022 report by the Migration Policy Institute.

Despite the uphill battle, lawmakers have approved more than $3 billion for the wall since 2021, and many continue to support its construction.

“I wish we would just finish this building here so it's not such an eyesore anymore. Basically, there are three different types of fences here. So, you know, just one continuous fence would be great,” said Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez.

Martinez, a Democrat, told NewsNation the wall is not a political issue but a national security issue. He said he supports Abbott's proposal because it protects his community and the country.

“I appreciate what Governor Abbott is doing west of us,” Martinez said. “This effort will protect our community and help keep our community safe. I know there are still some gaps in that fence, so hopefully technology will fill in those gaps so people or agents can respond.”