Approximately 50 small openings, humorously dubbed ‘doggy doors,’ are planned for installation along sections of the US-Mexico border wall. These are intended to facilitate animal migration, but wildlife advocates have criticized the initiative as a mere ‘joke.’
The planned installations, measuring about eight by eleven inches, will be situated in Arizona and California. Their purpose is to enable wildlife to move naturally across the border, a process that has been hindered by the imposing barrier.
However, wildlife experts argue that these passageways are insufficient for larger species like sheep, jaguars, and deer. Additionally, they are sparse, given the extensive length of the border wall.
Laiken Jordahl, a public land and wildlife advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed disapproval by stating, “This has got to be an obscene joke,” when speaking to the New York Post.
Activists are concerned about the wall’s impact on biodiversity, fearing it disrupts access to vital resources such as water, food, and mating opportunities for animal species that migrate across the border.
Researchers from the Wildlands Network, Christina Aiello and Myles Traphagen, have recently conducted surveys in the San Diego and Baja California areas, where new sections of the fence are planned for installation.
Concerns over the gaps being exploited by migrants looking to illegally cross the border have been raised, while Traphagen claimed that there have been no reports of humans taking advantage of the gaps in the fencing.
‘We’ve documented no humans ever using them,’ he told KTSM El Paso News in a Border Report. ‘Sometimes you see people looking at them curious about it, but it’s obvious you’re not going to be able to get through this.’
Around 50 ‘doggie doors’ are set to be installed along the US-Mexico border wall in Arizona and California
Contractors are due to install the openings, roughly sized at eight by eleven inches, to let animals naturally migrate across the border
Wildlife experts have argued that the ‘doors’ are too small for larger animals, such as sheep, jaguar and deer, and too infrequent for such a long stretch of fence
Traphagen said the openings are ‘the size of your doggy door’ and despite being a ‘proactive’ measure for many animals, they will limit bigger animals from migrating.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a December release that there were a ‘record low’ number of ‘encounters’ at the border across November last year.
The department documented 60,940 total encounters nationwide in October and November, which they claimed was lower than any prior fiscal year to date. Around 245 average apprehensions were recorded per day on the Southwest border.
‘We can’t be simply be throwing away all of our biodiversity, natural and cultural history, and heritage to solve a problem we can do more constructively by overhauling our immigration programs, so what we’re examining are places where we can suggest mitigation measures like small wildlife openings,’ he said.
‘If we extend the border wall completely, those sheep are not going to have an opportunity to go back and forth,’ Traphagen added.
Roughly 1,933 miles long, the US-Mexico border has some 700 miles of fence currently installed with the remaining amount set to be underway, CNN reported.
‘If [the DHS] do complete [the wall], that means that 95 percent of California and Mexico will be walled off and divided and that affects the whole evolutionary history of the whole continent.’
In a statement, DHS defended the construction with a waiver, signed by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, allowing the ‘expeditious construction of approximately five miles of new 30-foot-tall border wall.’
Roughly 1,933 miles long, the US-Mexico border has some 700 miles of fence currently installed with the remaining amount set to be underway
Wildlands Network researcher Myles Traphagen said no humans had been documented crossing the border using the gaps in the fencing, but said the small sizes pose a threat to culture and biodiversity
Animals limited from their natural migration patterns has activists concerned for effects on the ecosystem, biodiversity as well as animals limited access to water, resources, food and mates
It marked the seventh waiver signed by Secretary Noem for border barrier construction projects along the southern border, according to the statement.
‘The Secretary’s waiver authority allows DHS to waive any legal requirement, including environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act, to ensure the expeditious construction of physical barriers and roads,’ the statement added.
‘Projects executed under a waiver are critical steps to secure the southern border and reinforce our commitment to border security.’
Matthew Dyman, a spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection, claimed to the Post that the agency has worked with the National Park Service and other federal agencies to best map out passages for optimal migration routes.
