What is the appeal of this over the abundance of unsettled land in North America that does not need to be created from scratch? I guess building a wall sounds a

What is the appeal of this over the abundance of unsettled land in North America that does not need to be created from scratch? I guess building a wall sounds a lot more romantic when there is a ferry in the moat. Don't think for a second that an island 12mi off the coast of California would not be subject to US influence.