Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 28 February 2019
Amid clouds of dust, border wall prototypes are demolished

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The regularly breached with
government is demolish- powerful battery-operated
ing eight prototypes of saws recently made avail-
Donald Trump's prized bor- able in home improvement
der wall that instantly be- stores. It will then extend
came powerful symbols of another mile or so over the
his presidency when they prototype site. SLSCO Ltd.
were built nine months af- of Galveston, Texas, won
ter he took office. the $101 million contract
The Trump administration in December and started
says elements of the proto- work last week.
types have been melded Work on replacing the first-
into current border fence layer barrier, also with steel
designs and they have bollards and metal plates
served their purpose. up to 30 feet high, runs the
The four concrete and same length as the second
four steel panels, spaced layer and is nearly finished.
closely together steps from The previous first-layer bar-
an existing barrier separat- rier was a short fence.
ing San Diego and Tijua- The prototypes and new
na, Mexico, were one of construction continue a
Trump's top priorities, and long presence of border
he visited the location a The top tube of a border wall prototype falls during demolition at the border between Tijuana, activity in the adjoining Ti-
year ago to see the instal- Mexico, and San Diego, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in San Diego. juana neighborhood, ini-
lations firsthand. Associated Press tially occupied by squatters
For Trump's allies, the tower- who later bought the land.
ing models were a show of fence in front of construc- curves. Bidding guidelines "extensive" construction Guillermina Fernandez,
his commitment to border tion crews to turn them- called from them to with- challenges and the oth- who sells plants out of her
security and fulfilling a core selves in to agents. stand at least an hour of ers posed "substantial" or home and at a public mar-
campaign promise. For de- Their removal makes way punishment from a sledge- "moderate" challenges. Six ket, said smugglers once
tractors, they were monu- to extend a second layer of hammer, pickaxe, torch, of the eight would require brought large groups of mi-
ments to wasted taxpayer barrier with steel bollards, chisel or battery-operated extensive changes to ac- grants and dug small holes
dollars and a misguided similar to slats, topped tools and to prevent use of commodate drainage. under the old fence.
display of aggression to- by a metal plate rising 30 climbing aids such as grap- Border Patrol spokesman About 15 years ago, Fer-
ward Mexico and immi- feet (9.1 meters) from the pling hooks. Ross Wilkin said testing also nandez, 54, briefly turned
grants seeking a new home ground, the same design The guidelines also required exposed several design her patio into a dining area
in the United States. being used elsewhere on they be "aesthetically flaws. A steel model with for migrants. Campfires
Less than two hours after the border. The new barrier pleasing" from the U.S. side. vertical U-shaped inden- kept people warm while
crews began Wednesday, vaguely resembles some One has two shades of blue tations could be jammed waiting for an opening
seven of the barriers were of the steel prototypes but with white trim. The others with small pieces of wood to dart past Border Patrol
destroyed. A large hydrau- looks nothing like the solid are gray, tan or brown — in that could be climbed like agents.
lic jackhammer attached concrete panels, which sync with the desert. a ladder. Prototypes with "It looked like a party here,"
to an excavator pounded were widely panned be- The Department of Home- any exposed fasteners — she said.
the walls repeatedly as cause border agents can't land Security redirected like screws or bolts — could Illegal crossings in San Di-
slabs fell into small clouds see what's happening on $20 million from its budget be broken with the right ego have fallen dramati-
of dust. An owl flew out the other side. in February 2017, a month tools. cally since barriers were
of a steel tube on top of The nearly $3 billion that after Trump took office, to Wilkin noted that authori- installed in the 1990s and
one model just as the jack- Congress has provided for pay for the prototypes and ties never claimed the pro- mid-2000s, but some mi-
hammer started to knock barriers during the first half smaller mock-ups built far- totypes would be impene- grants go around them
it down. A panel made of of Trump's term requires ther from the border that trable and that they simply and others go over them.
steel poles was also dis- that money be spent on have already been dis- wanted to know how much Residents complain that
mantled. designs that were in place mantled. The open bidding time it took to crack each outsiders illegally dump
Public access to the pro- before May 2017, effec- generated a wide range of one. trash on their dirt roads that
totypes was blocked from tively prohibiting the proto- ideas, some of them whim- The appeal to private in- lack street lights. They say
the San Diego side, turn- types from being used and sical or far-fetched. One dustry for ideas was a new the new wall has produced
ing an impoverished Tijua- denying Trump bragging bidder wanted a wall large approach to building barri- one benefit: The bollards
na neighborhood into a rights to say he built his wall. enough for a deck that ers and provided many les- allow the Border Patrol's
popular spot for journalists, It's unclear if the restriction would offer tourists scenic sons to guide construction, bright lights to seep in and
demonstrators and curious would apply to the billions views of the desert. he said. That includes learn- provide some visibility at
observers. Artists displayed of dollars that Trump wants Bidders met fierce criticism ing that certain materials night.q
light shows on the walls with to spend by declaring a from wall opponents. The were unsuitable for quick
messages such as "Refu- national emergency on the Roman Catholic Archdio- repairs and that combin-
gees Welcome Here" next nation's southern border. cese of Mexico said any ing different surfaces, like
to an image of the Statue The prototypes are com- Mexican companies who bollards topped by plates,
of Liberty. ing down during the same expressed interest were be- were more effective.
People climbed piles of week that the House voted traying their country. The new barrier replaces a
trash against a short bor- to block Trump's emergen- The government rigorously steel-mesh fence that runs
der fence that has since cy declaration. tested the designs and, ac- more than 12 miles (19 ki-
been replaced to get a The eight prototypes, which cording to a summary from lometers) from the Pacific
clear view from Mexico. cost $300,000 to $500,000 the Government Account- Ocean, which worked like
Some asylum-seekers hoist- each to build, vary by ability Office, found that a fortress when it was built
ed their children over the slopes, thickness and the concrete walls posed a decade ago but is now