City said it’s a fence, not a border wall

Calexico City officials said on Friday President Trump’s recent tweet about work starting at the southern border wall may not be entirely accurate.

Council Member Bill Hodge said, “It’s not trump’s wall because trump hasn’t decided yet as far as what prototype he wants. So, if he hasn’t decided we can’t say this is his wall. This is border patrol driven.”

Hodge said the tweet implies work on the border wall has already started in the area.

“Absolutely not. It’s not. This particular border project was being talked about and implemented all the way back to 2009 under the Obama administration,” Hodge said.

The current work is to replace old panels from over two miles of border fence. Funding for this project became available last year.

“This fence will be a vast improvement. It’s perforated so you’ll be able to see thru it. It’s tall enough. It’s 30 feet high,” Hodge said.

Calexico Mayor Maritza Hurtado was also concerned by the tweet.

“Makes me feel upset to see that there is the opportunity for using this area, this wonderful community for pushing certain agendas,” Hurtado said.

She said the fence itself is not a divisive issue locally.

“We’ve already have had this fence for ages. And to us it’s not necessarily anything new. It’s about trying to stay away from the negative connotations that a wall can bring to a community like ours,” Hurtado said.

She wants to make it absolutely clear.

“There is no wall being built in the City of Calexico. It is merely a replacement of a small piece that needed replacing a long time ago,” Hurtado said.

The Trump Administration recently said the first phase of the border wall could cost around 18 billion dollars.