Iconic border wall dividing San Diego and Tijuana to be demolished and replaced

Operations to demolish the iconic border wall dividing San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico that stretches into the ocean, began on Friday, as workers replace it with a new fence.

The current wall has become a symbol for those who hope to one day cross into the U.S. because the Mexican side is covered in political murals related to immigration issues.

Plans to replace the wall were introduced during the Trump era and initially canceled by the Biden administration after the change of power. The Biden administration then reversed course, approving plans to replace the iconic wall. 

A week ago, a team of workers arrived at the site to begin transplanting trees and plants in Friendship Park—a binational garden located inside the Border Field State Park, a federal zone under the protection of the Border Patrol. 

On Friday morning, construction crews arrived to remove the section of the border wall that begins on the beach and stretches into the water. The crews installed a temporary barrier in the section of the wall while they work on installing a permanent feature. 

The iconic border wall will be replaced by a new barrier that will measure 18 feet tall in some sections, like Friendship Park, and up to 30 feet tall in other places. Once the construction of the wall is complete, the garden at Friendship Park will be restored, officials said. 

“Following the completion of construction activities, access to the park will be coordinated with (Border Patrol) through a gate in the secondary barrier, during designated periods of time, once it is operationally safe to do so,” the CBP said in a statement. 

Government officials have said that the project is necessary because the fences between the two countries had begun to deteriorate due to its age. Many parts of the 18-foot wall were corroded or falling apart, becoming a danger to anyone in the area, the CBP said. 

However, many are sad to see the iconic border wall go, since the Mexican side was covered in murals by artists who used it to expfress their thoughts on immigration policy and U.S.-Mexico relations. 

“The interventions by all of these artists have made this site a much more interesting place, with more strength and more heart,” said Maria Teresa Fernández, a photographer who has been documenting Friendship Park for more than 20 years.

Fernandez said she believes the artists will once again paint the new fence to express their thoughts and feelings.