Tortilla Wall
Encyclopedia
For the John Sladek short story, see The Great Wall of Mexico (short story)
.
The Tortilla Wall is a term given to a 14 mile (22.5 kilometer) section of United States
border fence between the Otay Mesa Border Crossing in San Diego, California and the Pacific Ocean
.
This "San Diego wall" was completed in the early 1990s. While there are other walls at various points along the border, the Tortilla Wall is the longest to date. No other wall sections have evolved distinct names, so The Tortilla Wall is often used to describe the entire set of walled defensive structures.
The Tortilla Wall is marked with graffiti, crosses, photos and remembrances of migrants who died trying to illegally enter
the United States.
testimony
The building of the tortilla wall is generally considered by Mexicans to be an unfriendly gesture. It is a symbol of the controversial immigration issue. It is argued that the wall simply forces illegal border crossings to be moved to the more dangerous area of the Arizona desert.
voted the Secure Fence Act of 2006
http://www.rules.house.gov/109_2nd/text/hr6061/1092nd_hr6061.pdf which authorized spending $1.2 billion to build 700 miles (1,100 km) of additional fencing on the southern border facing Mexico. Additional fencing would lend some plausibility that the Tortilla Wall will continue to have support on the U.S. side.
Tunnels under the wall are still a popular way to cross the border. Some tunnels are quite sophisticated. One such tunnel created by smugglers ran from Tijuana
to San Diego, was a half mile long, and included a concrete floor as well as electricity. Other tunnels have included steel rails, while some tunnels are simply dirt passageways or connect to sewer or drain systems.
As a stunt, a circus cannon was placed on the south side of the wall and an acrobat was blasted over the wall into the Border Field State Park
in the U.S. He had his passport with him.
The Great Wall of Mexico (short story)
"The Great Wall of Mexico" is a science fiction short story by John Sladek. It was first published in the 1973 anthology Bad Moon Rising: An Anthology of Political Forebodings edited by Thomas M. Disch...
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
border fence between the Otay Mesa Border Crossing in San Diego, California and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
This "San Diego wall" was completed in the early 1990s. While there are other walls at various points along the border, the Tortilla Wall is the longest to date. No other wall sections have evolved distinct names, so The Tortilla Wall is often used to describe the entire set of walled defensive structures.
The Tortilla Wall is marked with graffiti, crosses, photos and remembrances of migrants who died trying to illegally enter
Illegal entry
Illegal entry is the act of foreign nationals arriving in or crossing the borders into a country in violation of its immigration law.Migrants from nations that do not have automatic visa agreements, or who would not otherwise qualify for a visa, often cross the borders illegally in some areas like...
the United States.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of the wall has been significant according to U.S. CongressionalUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
testimony
"...apprehensions along the region with a security fence dropped from 202,000 in 1992 to 9,000 in 1994."
The building of the tortilla wall is generally considered by Mexicans to be an unfriendly gesture. It is a symbol of the controversial immigration issue. It is argued that the wall simply forces illegal border crossings to be moved to the more dangerous area of the Arizona desert.
The Future of the Tortilla Wall
In 2006, the U.S. CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
voted the Secure Fence Act of 2006
Secure Fence Act of 2006
On October 26, 2006 President George W. Bush signed The Secure Fence Act of 2006 into law stating, “This bill will help protect the American people. This bill will make our borders more secure. It is an important step toward immigration reform."...
http://www.rules.house.gov/109_2nd/text/hr6061/1092nd_hr6061.pdf which authorized spending $1.2 billion to build 700 miles (1,100 km) of additional fencing on the southern border facing Mexico. Additional fencing would lend some plausibility that the Tortilla Wall will continue to have support on the U.S. side.
Anecdotal Wall Stories
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
to San Diego, was a half mile long, and included a concrete floor as well as electricity. Other tunnels have included steel rails, while some tunnels are simply dirt passageways or connect to sewer or drain systems.
As a stunt, a circus cannon was placed on the south side of the wall and an acrobat was blasted over the wall into the Border Field State Park
Border Field State Park
Border Field State Park is a state park of California, USA, containing beach and coastal habitat on the Mexico – United States border. The park is located within the city limits of Imperial Beach in San Diego County, adjacent to the suburb of Playas de Tijuana in Mexico...
in the U.S. He had his passport with him.
External links
- Otay Mesa Port of Entry
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics Border Crossing Information
- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20061010-1000-bn10tunnel3.html
- http://www.worldgolf.com/course-reviews/mexico/tijuana-country-club-mexico-1429.htm