The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that it has accelerated the construction of a second border wall with Mexico.
It is a wall of over 137 kilometers in areas such as San Diego, Yuma, Tucson, El Paso, and the Rio Grande Valley.
The construction of a new secondary barrier, with taller and more resistant steel structures, began last week in the border area between New Mexico and Ciudad Juárez.
The project has generated criticism from religious and human rights organizations.
They are trying to stop illegal migrant crossings
In the border area where the project is being carried out—known for the irregular crossing of migrants and smuggling—heavy machinery and federal personnel working continuously have been observed. According to the CBP, the new stretch will have a length of 11 kilometers and will feature steel bars over 30 meters high.
The federal agency emphasized that the expansion of the wall responds to security needs at the most sensitive points of the southern border, although various social sectors warn that these measures intensify the criminalization of migration.
They ask to build bridges and not walls
As part of the social response, the Catholic Church announced that it will carry out the 110th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, promoting the message of “building bridges, not walls.”
On July 8th, President Donald Trump celebrated the approval of a record budget for migration actions by Congress. The package includes over $46 billion dollars allocated for the construction of the border wall, more than triple the amount spent during his first term (2017-2021), according to an analysis by the American Immigration Council.