GRANJENO – A Hidalgo County woman said she agrees with the signing of Wednesday’s executive action to extend the border wall along the southern border.

Granjeno resident Elizabeth Olivarez said she believes a wall will protect people living in her neighborhood.

An area of her backyard view already has a border wall; she said it’s helped with protection on the levee, but not with the flow of people crossing illegally.

 “I’ve heard they’ve found ladders with hooks, with ropes. So, people will always find a way to cross no matter what you do,” she said.

The Rio Grande lies about a mile away from her house. Due to the flood zones in Granjeno, the community installed the wall to prevent water from creeping into homes.   

“There were floods before and I don’t think that levee would have taken all the water,” she said.

However, Olivarez said the wall’s original intent of deterring people from crossing the border illegally hasn’t been as effective.

“People who cross the border illegally from Mexico will eventually reach this border wall. All they need to do is walk a couple more feet and then they reach a gap in the physical barrier,” she said.

Once those crossing reach the other side of the wall, there’s a spot Olivares said they use to camp out. A CHANNEL 5 NEWS crew also found traces of clothing, wallets and caps in various paths.

The Granjeno resident said time will tell whether the wall will stop the flow of traffic.

President Trump told ABC News construction of the border wall could start in months. Regardless, Olivarez said she’s still not convinced it will be a reality any time soon.