The U.S. Border Patrol is erecting an 18-foot-tall steel fence in the last stretch of unwalled, urban borderline in along the U.S-Mexico border in New Mexico.
The Albuquerque Journal reports officials say the new fencing will create a more imposing barrier in a location that is deeply symbolic to immigration activists.
Currently, a dilapidated, 10-foot-high chain-link fence is in place. It runs a mile or so from the bottom of a mesa to the base of Mount Cristo Rey.
The new rust-colored steel columns — an $11 million project authorized by the Secure Fence Act of 2006 — will replace the chain link and be reinforced 5 feet underground with steel panels to prevent tunneling. Construction is expected to finish early next year.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
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