California Building Border Wall With New Anti-Climb Feature

(RepublicanReport.org) – Officials in California are trying out a new anti-climb feature on a stretch of border wall they’re replacing. The design looks like an awning, with the overhang arching over the Mexican side to keep illegal immigrants from scaling the barrier. The area will reportedly serve as a test of the new design’s effectiveness, with more regions to see similar changes if the prototype proves its worth.

Border Report states that the new wall is replacing older stretches that are old and falling apart, posing dangers to migrants and patrolling agents alike. The area, dubbed “Friendship Park” was once an iconic meeting ground where residents in Tijuana and San Diego interacted playfully through the slotted metal barrier. The spot rests on a bluff along the Pacific Ocean, separating the United States from Mexico. Access to the park became restricted in October 2021, after the pandemic hit, and it has yet to reopen to the public. The park will likely remain closed until the construction is complete, but based on the appearance of the double-wall design replacing the old, single barrier, interaction between locals could remain a thing of the past.

Friends of Friendship Park posted footage of the construction on Instagram. It shows tractors taking out pieces of the old barrier, which had previously been transformed into a mural. The group also shared a video of the new segments of the wall going up. Finished areas include the new anti-climb feature.

Migrant advocate Pedro Rios, who works for the American Friends Service Committee, called the new wall “a waste of money.” He and others believe the new design will only create new dangers by making the wall harder to climb. Attempted border crossers already injure themselves by getting stuck and dropping from the top.

Newsweek reports that the plans to replace old segments of the wall began when former President Donald Trump was in office, but the administration under President Joe Biden put those plans on hold in August 2022.