President Trump’s border wall with Mexico has reportedly missed its first construction start date.

President Trump’s border wall with Mexico has reportedly missed its first construction start date.
The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting, based on public records, that “Homeland Security had planned to begin construction on four to eight 30-foot tall prototypes Thursday near Otay Mesa.” 
However, the media outlet notes, “...Customs and Border Protection, responding to a Freedom of Information Act request from the San Diego Union-Tribune, said no contracts have been awarded.” 
Despite the delay, which was not explained by officials, plans for the border wall are said to be proceeding. 
According to the Mercury News, locals have noticed greater activity in the Otay Mesa area including “Army Corps of Engineers workers leveling land and marking off what appears to be a staging area with orange construction tape.” 
But border officials have indicated that the timeline to begin construction on wall prototypes would likely be bumped back to the end of summer. 
Funding has been an obstacle for the project, with total estimated costs ranging from more than $21 billion to nearly $67 billion. 
With Mexico refusing to pay up and U.S. lawmakers reluctant to cover the bill, Trump has started advocating for the use of solar panels to offset costs, reports CBS News.
However, some finance and energy experts have dismissed the effectiveness of this idea in the long run.