Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Arizona City Officials Decry New Razor Wire on Border Fence
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
February 6, 2019

Share

NOGALES, Ariz. — Officials in a small Arizona border city are decrying the installation of new razor wire that now covers the entirety of a tall border wall through downtown.

Nogales, a city of about 20,000 people, is a fraction of the size of the Mexican city, but its economy is largely reliant on Mexican shoppers and cross-border trade. Illegal crossings in that area have dropped steeply in the past several years.
The city council in Nogales, which sits on the border with Nogales, Mexico, is set to consider a proclamation Wednesday night condemning the use of concertina wire.
The vote comes after reports that U.S. military troops installed more horizontal layers of the wire along the downtown border fence over the weekend, and a day after President Donald Trump highlighted border security in his State of the Union address.
Photos published by the Nogales International show six rows of concertina wire stacked along the approximately two-story.
Nogales, a city of about 20,000 people, is a fraction of the size of the Mexican city, but its economy is largely reliant on Mexican shoppers and cross-border trade. Illegal crossings in that area have dropped steeply in the past several years.
Mayor Arturo Garino told the paper that he asked U.S. Sen. Martha McSally to help the city have the wire removed during a visit to the border last month.
“That wire is lethal, and I really don’t know what they’re thinking by putting it all the way down to the ground,” he said Monday.

City Leaders Critical of Military Exercises at Border

Neither Garino nor a spokeswoman for McSally returned messages from The Associated Press. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Defense also did not respond to inquiries about why additional wire was installed over the weekend.

In a tweet, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Democrat, called the additional wire a stunt by the Trump administration, which he said is “trying to create the perception of rampant lawlessness and crime.”
City leaders were critical of military exercises at the border during the holiday season, saying they believed it scared shoppers during one of the busiest times of the year.
The proclamation the city council is scheduled to vote on says concertina wire is typically something found in battlefields, and that placing it along the entirety of the border fence is “not only irresponsible but inhuman.”
In a tweet, U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Democrat, called the additional wire a stunt by the Trump administration, which he said is “trying to create the perception of rampant lawlessness and crime.”
Trump ordered troops deployed to the border last year, and the Pentagon said Sunday it was sending an additional 3,750 to install 150 miles of concertina wire. There are now about 4,350 active-duty troops on the border.
Information released by the federal government shows the number of arrests by the Border Patrol is the lowest since the early 1970s, while the number of agents has more than doubled.
In the last fiscal year, about 19,000 Border Patrol agents made 310,000 arrests.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Millions on the Street Virtually Overnight: How Trump’s Budget Proposal Could Affect CA

DON'T MISS

$20K Reward Offered for Tips in Killing of Caleb Quick in Clovis

DON'T MISS

Willy Adames’ Bat Heats Up With Two HRs in Giants Win

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Cite 95 in Motorcycle Safety Operation

DON'T MISS

Shoemaker Skechers Is Sold for $9 Billion to Become a Private Company

DON'T MISS

Google Has Launched New Film and TV Production Wing, Business Insider Reports

DON'T MISS

Austin Riley’s Home Runs Snap Dodgers’ Win Streak at 7 Games

DON'T MISS

Fire Breaks Out at Valero Benicia Refinery, Residents Urged to Stay Indoors

DON'T MISS

Warren Buffett Will Remain Chairman at Berkshire Hathaway When New CEO Takes Over

DON'T MISS

Cinco De Mayo Celebrates Resilience and Culture of Mexican People

UP NEXT

Don’t Have a REAL ID Yet? That Could Cause You Travel Headaches After May 7

UP NEXT

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial to Delve Into the Seediest Side of Rap’s ‘Bad Boy’

UP NEXT

Robbie Ray’s Gem Leads the Giants Over the Rockies

UP NEXT

World’s Tallest and Smallest Dogs Meet Up for a Playdate

UP NEXT

University of Texas Chancellor Is Named President of the University of California

UP NEXT

Here’s Why May the 4th Is Celebrated as Star Wars Day Across the Galaxy

UP NEXT

Military Parade on Trump’s Birthday Could Include More Than 6,500 Troops

UP NEXT

New CIA Videos Aim to Lure Chinese Officials

UP NEXT

Trump Taps Waltz for US Ambassador to the United Nations

UP NEXT

Brazilian Nun Who Was the World’s Oldest Person Has Died at 116

Fresno Police Cite 95 in Motorcycle Safety Operation

44 minutes ago

Shoemaker Skechers Is Sold for $9 Billion to Become a Private Company

1 hour ago

Google Has Launched New Film and TV Production Wing, Business Insider Reports

1 hour ago

Austin Riley’s Home Runs Snap Dodgers’ Win Streak at 7 Games

1 hour ago

Fire Breaks Out at Valero Benicia Refinery, Residents Urged to Stay Indoors

2 hours ago

Warren Buffett Will Remain Chairman at Berkshire Hathaway When New CEO Takes Over

2 hours ago

Cinco De Mayo Celebrates Resilience and Culture of Mexican People

2 hours ago

Democratic-Led States Sue to Block Trump’s Halting of Wind Projects

2 hours ago

Visalia Illegal Gun Operation Uncovered During Multi-Agency Arrest

2 hours ago

Fresno Police Seek Women Accused of Stealing $7,000 in Ulta Makeup

2 hours ago

Millions on the Street Virtually Overnight: How Trump’s Budget Proposal Could Affect CA

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. On Friday President Trump released a budget blueprint for ...

1 minute ago

Fresno homeless encampment sweep
1 minute ago

Millions on the Street Virtually Overnight: How Trump’s Budget Proposal Could Affect CA

23 minutes ago

$20K Reward Offered for Tips in Killing of Caleb Quick in Clovis

41 minutes ago

Willy Adames’ Bat Heats Up With Two HRs in Giants Win

The new police station in southeast Fresno. (GV Wire/David Taub)
44 minutes ago

Fresno Police Cite 95 in Motorcycle Safety Operation

A Skechers sign is shown in San Francisco, March 17, 2024. (AP File)
1 hour ago

Shoemaker Skechers Is Sold for $9 Billion to Become a Private Company

The logo of Google LLC is shown on a building in San Diego, California, U.S., October 9, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Blake/File photo)
1 hour ago

Google Has Launched New Film and TV Production Wing, Business Insider Reports

1 hour ago

Austin Riley’s Home Runs Snap Dodgers’ Win Streak at 7 Games

A fire broke out at the Benicia Valero Refinery on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Benicia FD)
2 hours ago

Fire Breaks Out at Valero Benicia Refinery, Residents Urged to Stay Indoors

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend