How effective is razor wire at border anyway?
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — After last week’s Supreme Court decision allowing the federal government to remove concertina wire along the border, Texas finds itself in a possible standoff with Washington.
Gov. Greg Abbott initiated the installation of the razor wire fence as part of his Operation Lone Star.
Fast forward three years and millions of dollars later, the question arises: How effective has this method been for the state in slowing down migrant encounters?
KTSM spoke with Fernando Garcia, the founder and executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for migrants and assisting them in any way possible. With 25 years of experience, Garcia notes a shift in the border landscape compared to 2002.
He emphasizes that arriving immigrants now include whole family units not just from Central America anymore but from countries like Venezuela, Colombia and Cuba, who are seeking asylum in the U.S.
Garcia said due to the lack of border infrastructure like processing centers or refugee camps it has complicated things, reflecting the broken state of the immigration system.
He also stated that the barbed wire fence has done very little to deter immigration; if anything, it has exacerbated the situation. Garcia criticized the state’s approach as wrong, unconstitutional, and illegal, pointing out the lack of infrastructure development at the border. He mentioned that migrants are choosing riskier paths through deserts or mountains, where there is no concertina wire, making it even more dangerous and leading to an increase in migrant fatalities.
Despite obstacles such as jungles, deserts, or wire barriers, millions of migrants persist in pursuing what many still refer to as the “American dream.” Not far from Garcia’s office, groups of migrants gather, many coming straight out of detainment or waiting for transportation to their next destination.
An anonymous Venezuelan migrant shared his painful journey, which included crossing the Darien jungle (between Colombia and Panama) where he reported seeing many dead bodies as he was hiking, enduring hardships in Panama before reaching Mexico.
For him, the razor wire fence was not the biggest obstacle, as people adapt using whatever they have on hand to avoid injuries. Eleven adults and seven kids were in his group, while he didn’t suffer any injuries, a friend in the group did.
“He got tangled in the razor fence, and had no other option but to grab it with his hands to spread it out. It cut his hands and back very badly,” the migrant said.
When asked how he prepared for these type of obstacles, he said, “Nothing prepares you for this sort of thing, but God was my greatest ally, and he was always with me.”
Now that he is here, he wants to work with the hopes of bringing his family over, and most importantly live a peaceful life, something that is not possible in Venezuela at this time, the migrant said.
Many community members and immigration advocates hoped that the fence would be removed after the Supreme Court’s ruling last week, but it may not happen as quickly as anticipated. This delay is due to more court filings to come, according to Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council.
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