The United States Government plans to boost security and rebuild the border wall at the U.S. Mexico border in San Diego. They will do so by taking more than 3 acres of land owned by the city of San Diego to do so.
The government’s land acquisition is detailed in a new federal document obtained by NBC 7.
According to the court documents, the federal government will pay $300,000 for 3.39 acres of city land located directly east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection will use the land to, according to the filing, “construct, maintain, and repair barriers, roads, lighting, cameras and sensors to help secure the United States/Mexico border within the State of California.”
The land acquisition is part of the Trump Administration’s plan to bolster security at the southern border with Mexico, plans which include building a secondary wall to deter illegal crossings.
In August 2019, immigration officials celebrated the construction of a replacement wall in Otay Mesa and the US border. The 14-mile border wall replacement cost the government $147 million.
The Administration has also spent millions on a secondary wall along the border in San Diego.
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And, just last week, NBC 7 reported that the Department of Homeland Security asked the Pentagon to fund the construction of 270 miles of border wall this year as part of a counter-drug effort. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/national-international/dhs-seeks-pentagon-funds-border-wall/2245490/
In all billions have gone to boosting security along the border.
A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection could not comment due to the legal complaint needed to acquire land through eminent domain.
The city of San Diego did not respond to a request for comment.
