Promised a wall, given a gap: Border rancher fears Biden order will funnel migrants through his land

COLUMBUS, New Mexico — A fourth-generation rancher who once viewed the border wall project as a blessing now faces a nightmare after construction was stopped 1 mile before being finished, leaving a hole right in his backyard through which he fears immigrants will be funneled.

A wall project originating near El Paso, Texas, came to an abrupt end last week near Hermanas, New Mexico, less than a mile short of where it was slated to connect to another wall. Landowner Russell Johnson said President Biden has set his family up as the first spot in the 90 miles to El Paso where people will try to sneak into the country, and Johnson is scared for his wife and kids.

For decades, Johnson's parents, grandparents, and great grandparents have dealt with the realities of living with nothing more than a barbed wire fence dividing both countries. He is gravely concerned now, having already started to see an uptick in people crossing along his 8.5 miles of border-front property over the past several months.